How Women Can Cope With A Breakup

Women's Dating

How Women Can Cope With a Breakup

Lauren Hostert

Written by: Lauren Hostert

Lauren Hostert

Lauren is just about 24 now and thinks that age has brought a little clarity. She is in the dating scene but not to the point where sometimes she knows better. It's an interesting phase. Of her three best friends: one is married, one in a relationship and one is trolloping around Europe. That all seems normal to Lauren, who said she is less judgmental than she used to be. At a certain point, you realize most people are just on different paths to the same end.

Edited by: Lillian Castro

Lillian Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of journalism experience to ensure DatingAdvice articles have been edited for overall clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement. She has worked at The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, The Gwinnett Daily News, and The Gainesville Sun covering lifestyle topics.

Discuss This! Discuss This!
Advertiser Disclosure

A bad breakup can be trying on even the most independent woman. Rejection plus sudden change is a math equation no one wants to end up on the other side of. Here are a few tips to show how women can cope with a breakup, successfully.

1. Go easy on yourself.

It’s natural to feel a sense of loss at the end of a relationship, so let yourself grieve. Let the laundry pile up, watch a dumb movie, read a book that in no way enriches your life. It’s OK not to be at your best for a while, but don’t let it get out of control.

Have an extra piece of cake at dinner, but don’t let bad habits affect your job or other important relationships. It’s important to let yourself heal without shutting down. Grieving the loss of a relationship doesn’t mean you should carry the weight of the world on your shoulders.

2. Do what feels right.

Sadness manifests differently for everyone, so do what makes you feel OK. If you feel like going out with your friends and meeting new people, then do it. It’s a good distraction, and it’s good to remind yourself of your single side. Friends can help you get over a breakup, they’ve most likely been in your shoes before too.

Conversely, don’t beat yourself up if you feel like doing nothing. Paint your nails black, write some apocalyptic poetry. There can be something refreshing about pain. Either way, don’t let it go on too long.

Your friends are there to support you after a breakup, but if things aren’t getting easier or you’re feeling a little too dark, maybe consider seeing a professional.

3. Welcome the change.

Sometimes, it’s even possible to be optimistic about a breakup. Clean out your closet, actually get rid of those shoes you’ve been saying you’re going to get rid of. Take up a new hobby, learn Spanish. Look at it as an opportunity to make a fresh start.

Put away mementos to help you let go of your past relationship, but don’t throw them away. A clean visual start can set you on a path to moving on, but don’t try to delete chunks of your life. Stay positive about a breakup and you’ll see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Advertiser Disclosure

DatingAdvice.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. To keep this resource 100% free, we receive compensation from many of the offers listed on the site. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where products appear across the site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). DatingAdvice.com does not include the entire universe of available offers. Editorial opinions expressed on the site are strictly our own and are not provided, endorsed, or approved by advertisers.

Our Editorial Review Policy

Our site is committed to publishing independent, accurate content guided by strict editorial guidelines. Before articles and reviews are published on our site, they undergo a thorough review process performed by a team of independent editors and subject-matter experts to ensure the content’s accuracy, timeliness, and impartiality. Our editorial team is separate and independent of our site’s advertisers, and the opinions they express on our site are their own. To read more about our team members and their editorial backgrounds, please visit our site’s About page.