How To Survive A Breakup 

Evey relationship you get into, you're either going to be together forever or you will separate. Everyone goes through at least one breakup in their lifetime. It is a difficult time that, sadly, everyone has to go through—but there are many simple ways to heal after splitting up with someone you really cared about. Here are some anecdotes on things you need to know and things you should do to help you move on. 

Understanding Why 

One of the first steps you should take to healing is understanding why you broke up. One of the biggest reasons couples break up is due to poor communication, or a lack of it at all. 65% of divorces occur due to lack of communication, and 43% of non-marriage relationships split up due to inability to resolve a conflict due to miscommunication. 

Another big reason is infidelity. There is approximately a 6% chance you'll get cheated on by your partner, and that percentage rises to 25% over the life of a relationship. It is very hard for couples to remain after cheating due to the sudden lack of trust and stability after someone new has been introduced. 

Was It Supposed to Be True Love? 

Understanding how serious your relationship and your breakup was is crucial to you moving on. Teenage relationships typically last a few weeks to 2 years. With that being said, one should also remember that every relationship you get into, you're either going to break up or marry that person. Only 2% of new marriages in North America are considered "high school sweethearts," or are of relationships that had started during the high school years of one or both parties. 

Even though a relationship may not last forever or even make it towards marriage, does not make it invaluable. Even though a relationship took place in an unhealthy environment such as high school: full of adolescent drama and priority of continuing education, does not mean the relationship was not worthwhile. If both people in the relationship both grow from their experience with each other, and learn from it, then the relationship was unquestionably vital to the maturing of both parties. 

Hobbies 

After leaving a relationship, you may find yourself with a lot of time on your hands and in need of something to fill up the new empty. It is very easy to find yourself stalking your ex's social media or sitting alone being sad, but there are things far more productive than giving into destructive habits over something that probably won't matter in a few years' time. 

Hobbies are any activities you put time and effort into. They range from collecting bottle caps to dancing to volunteering to creative writing to even bird watching. Hobbies tend to relax and are natural mood improvers and stress relievers. It is also believed by scientific study that hobbies can ward of depression and improve memory, due to the brain stimulation and hormones produced that are linked to happiness. 

In a 2009 study at the Chicago Mental Health Center, people with mental disorders were brought in to test managing anxiety found that 74% of the patients found the hobby of knitting to be calming and therapeutic, no matter their expertise level. 

Joys of Friendship 

Babies can recognize friendship before they start to talk or take their first steps, so forgetting about that after a breakup is nothing short of ridiculous. After a breakup is one of your most sensitive times, so having a support system is crucial to your happiness and moving on. Your friends will be there to remind you that you deserve more and hold him accountable to the things you may not due to wanting to be in a relationship again. 

According to the India Times, individuals facing a major illness with a solid social circle are in a better position to survive than someone with a poor social circle (up to 22%!). Also, through scientific research, having no friends is just as bad for your health as obesity. 

What having no friends to the mind is equivalent to having obesity in your physical body. They both wear you down and prohibit you from enjoying your life. Both stunt their person from maintaining healthy habits and could possibly stunt growth (emotionally or physically) if the issue is around from an early age. 

Chocolate 

It is a universal stereotype that girls eat chocolate to get over a breakup; and they would be doing the right thing. Chocolate contains tryptophan which releases endorphins (hormones that make you happy and relieve stress) into the body; and also contains phenylethylamine (known as "the love drug", which gives of brain signals similar to being in love), which makes chocolate an optimal snack when going through an emotionally tough time. 

Another fun fact about chocolate is that eating up to 100 grams of dark chocolate can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, and heart failure in your future. Chocolate is a powerful source of antioxidants, and has numerous other health benefits such as improving blood flow, decreasing blood pressure, and protects LDL from oxidizing (turning into poor cholesterol in the body). 

There are probably millions of ways to get over a breakup, and there are a million ways that won't work for you. Everyone moves on differently, and everyone will find their way to move on. Statistically it should only take half of the time of your relationship to move on, but that is not a guarantee. The only thing that truly matters in a breakup is knowing that as long as you are moving on and not letting your breakup change who you are, you are on the right track. 

- Chess Cabrera, Student Reporter

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