Friday 28 February 2014

Mending A Broken Heart In Ten Steps

Heartbreak sells. Just look at the countless novels, movies, and self-help books that have made a fortune out of the tragedy of the human heart. Once broken, it seems that every fibre of your being is compelled to feel broken as well. All functions cease and the world stands still. That’s why everybody avoids having a broken heart or when they are suffering from one, does everything to repair it.



Romantic love is something everyone aspires to have. It’s euphoric nature makes every human being’s sole purpose to seek love all throughout their lifetime. There is no bigger tragedy than finding love elude you or nothing more painful than unrequited love. They say it’s much worse than physical death— you are alive and breathing yet suffering from feelings of powerlessness, frustration, and devastation eating away at you every day you are heart broken. You grieve, and much like in death, go through the stages of denial (He’ll come back), anger (I hate his guts), bargaining (Maybe if I wasn’t too clingy, he’d come back), depression (I don’t think I’ll ever want to love again), and finally acceptance (I’ve moved on).
Many people seek therapy or professional counsel to help them get over a broken heart. But if you can’t afford it, here are steps you can follow to arrive at the same goal: break free from heartbreak!

#1 Acknowledge the reality that your feelings of love and hurt were real.
Just because it didn’t turn out for the better, doesn’t mean your relationship was a sham. You both felt in love when you were together and you did enjoy the experience together.

#2 Love is always a blessing.
Not a lot of people get to experience love in their lifetime. So consider your experience with love as a rare gift, even if it caused you pain.

#3 Everything happens for a reason.
You may not see it clearly at the height of your pain from the heartbreak, but once the air clears and you can think more rationally, you’ll realize that it was for the better.

#4 Live in the present.
Leave the past behind and not worry about the future. Instead take care of today. Today is real and very much here, under your grasp and control. Take it as an opportunity to control what you want for tomorrow.

#5 Channel your emotions.
Don’t bottle it up. It’s like keeping a bomb in a pressurized chamber—sooner or later it’ll explode. It is always healthy to express anger and grief. It is one way to let go of your feelings by acknowledging that they exist.

#6 Cut all ties.
No, you can’t be friends. At least not yet. How can you move on if you constantly see him/her, go through their Facebook posts, accidentally text message them, or pass by a place they frequent. It’s like whacking your head with a rock you picked up yourself. Remove yourself from feeling constantly rejected.

#7 Turn to family and friends.
It always helps to have someone listen to you and it is comforting to be surrounded by people who actually love you and care for you.

#8 You are worthy of love.
Often after a heartbreak, you tend to feel unlovable. That is not true. You may have felt unloved by one person. But it’s just that ONE person, not the entire universe.

#9 Love yourself first.
They say love is an extension of yourself and before you can give love, you must have love first. So accept who you are and love yourself for all that you are—flaws and all. You can’t love someone else without loving yourself first.

#10 Everything passes.
Before you know it, it’ll be over. It may take months or years, but it’ll be over. Soon enough, you will love again.

Monday 24 February 2014

How to Move On From Infidelity



Relationships fail every day. Some people just don’t work out together. Hearts are broken everywhere. But the worst heartbreak of all comes from being cheated upon. Whether you walked in on your partner with someone else or read a flirtatious text or email, the hurt and betrayal hurts a lot. Clearly, the relationship is over. But how do you move on when you are being held back by a crippling self-doubt on what you could have possibly done to deserve such. Here are some things to help you move forward.

#1 Never look at yourself to blame.
Your initial reaction might include endless questioning of how it could have been your fault why he/she cheated on you. Maybe you were emotionally unavailable. Maybe you’ve let go of yourself. Maybe you were suffocating him/her. You should stop yourself right there. NEVER accept responsibility for their actions. Cheaters are 100% responsible for their behavior.
#2 Quit searching for an explanation.
Don’t try to make sense out of nonsense. There is no justification for cheating. Yes, you love him/her and you might go into rationalizing their cheating behavior, but like what was said before—no matter the reason, cheating is never acceptable.
#3 Do something with your time.
People have this notion that time heals all wounds. Well, not entirely. You just can’t expect to wake up one day feeling all better without doing anything. You just can’t lie on your bed and expect the universe to give you a fresh start. It is YOU—you have to decide to move on. It is what you do during the time you are reeling from the heartbreak that will ultimately help you achieve freedom from the hurt that anchors you down.
#4 Don’t bottle it up.
Seek the support of family and friends. Share your experience with a trusted person and let them help you go through the process of moving on. They are a welcome distraction. When you’ve been holed up in someone’s life for some time, it will be helpful to reconnect with loved ones and feel cherished once again.
#5 Do not backslide.
If you are trying to move on one step at a time, don’t be tempted to take two steps back. Remove yourself from anything that reminds you of your past relationship. Cutting ties doesn’t make you bitter, it makes you smart. Never hang on to someone who only considers you as an option.

Saturday 8 February 2014

How To Tell If You Are More Than Just Friends.

BEST FRIENDS… WITH BENEFITS
            When friendship turns into flirtation-ship and more, know what signs to look for. Maybe you tell each other everything, you are comfortable with each other, or you long for each other’s presence. Suddenly your friendship takes on a new form into a budding romantic relationship. Here’s how to find out if you’re both on your way to becoming couples.

Your friends start teasing you.
            The reason why people tease you is because you both are giving off the vibe that something’s going on between you and your friend. They comment on how you two look good if you were a couple and how compatible you both seem to be. Oftentimes, you are so blinded by the “just friends” label that your friends notice the romantic spark before you do.
You talk to each other every day and very often before bedtime.
            And it’s not just casual talk, although most of your conversation is practically about nothing. You start talking to each other at length and you both begin to look forward to these conversations. You ask each other mundane details about your day.
You spend a lot of time together. Alone.
            You are beginning to both find excuses just to hang out together or do things together. You enjoy each other’s presence more than your other friends. You are often seen alone together and brush it off as just “hanging out” but in reality you both really don’t need and want the company of others.
Your gestures toward each other are getting sweeter.
            You notice you both always want to be in close proximity with each other and physical contact happens more often. There’s the occasional “accidental” hand holding, caressing each other’s back, draping of arms over shoulders, lingering hugs and sweet kisses on the cheeks, resting of heads on shoulders, or inevitable cuddling.
You have pet names for each other.
            Sure, friends have special names for each other. But for your someone special? They are totally something else. You both have this strong urge of affection for each other that calling each other by your names just doesn't seem right. Your text messages even start to include sweet nothings like “sweetie” or “babe”.
You both get jealous when the other is in the company of the opposite sex.
            When your “friend” get a special attention from someone else, you get this pang of jealousy. Meanwhile, they too give hints that they are feeling jealous when you are seeing someone else. Now why is that?
You finish each other’s sentences and occupy each other’s thoughts.
            You message each other almost at the same time and say “I was just thinking of you”. You also finish each other’s sentences and you practically know their secrets. Your conversations are laden with flirtation so thick you can slice it with a knife.