This year has put a challenging spin on nearly everyone’s lives. People all over the world have lost their jobs, romantic relationships have dissolved due to financial pressures and restructuring, and, for many, overall health has declined.

Unfortunately, 2020 is far from over, and you may find that you’re in the middle of putting a difficult time or situation behind you. Whether you’re trying to move on from a relationship, lost job, or another emotional circumstance, there’s good news: it will get better. Before we know it, the calendar year will flip over, the world will begin to normalize a bit, and you’ll begin to heal.

If your heart is broken and you’re looking for some advice to help you get through this challenging time, crack open your Ben & Jerry’s and keep on reading.

  1. Feel your pain

    Your pain may seem unbearable at times, but it makes you human. Accepting your pain and letting it move through you – as you feel every peak and valley – is a gentle reminder of the highs and lows that you have the opportunity to experience. Don’t fight the sadness. Instead, cry it out, acknowledge it, and when it passes, pick yourself up and feel the lightness that follows it.
  2. Be compassionate towards yourself

    We are our own worst critics. If you lost your job, it’s likely that you’re running through all of the “What ifs” of your career. Similarly, if your relationship ended, you might be questioning how you could have improved, what you did wrong, and how the ending of the relationship may impact the rest of your life. Treat yourself with the same compassion, understanding, and kindness that you would treat a friend. The “What Ifs” don’t serve you – so it’s best to let them go.
  3. Try new self-care techniques 

    We’re all familiar with self-care. Maybe your existing routine looks like a hot candlelit bath on a Friday night with your favourite book. Keep doing what makes you feel great, but incorporate new techniques into your routine as well. Maybe you’ll benefit from a spa day, a hike, or doing yoga in the park. Ask your loved ones what they do to unwind, and try experimenting with new options to add to your routine.

  4. Practice forgiveness 

    Anger will eat you alive. Sometimes there’s a purpose for it, however, it will hurt you more than it will serve you. Practice forgiveness with the people around you but, most of all, yourself. Give yourself affirmations of forgiveness, and let out your anger, frustration, or disappointment in healthy ways. Forgiveness is a work in progress and it is an art. Mastering it may take some time, but you’ll quickly find that it’s one of the healthiest things you can practice when you’re trying to heal from a challenging period in your life.

  5. Embrace new experiences 

    When you’re going through a difficult time, it’s easy to feel a “cup half empty” mentality. Switch the narrative to meet a “cup half full” thought process. Losing your job could be difficult, but this frees up your time to think outside of the box and seek a new career path or a job with less of a commute. If you’re experiencing a difficult breakup, you may feel as though you lost your best friend, but this is an opportunity to connect deeper with yourself and make new memories with your friends and family. Embrace the experiences around you and chase after all of the wonderful things life has to offer. After all, just because one door closes, doesn’t mean the world isn’t a mansion for you to explore.

Above all, have the unrelenting faith that things will begin to feel okay again. Because they will. No matter how difficult this period might be, eventually, you will look back and be grateful for the lessons you learned and the experiences you had.

By Celina Dawdy