How to Move Past a Bad Relationship
Bad relationships do not have to be abusive to have lingering, damaging effects. Even a relationship where there is simply a lot of arguing, jealousy issues or other unpleasant feelings and exchanges can take a toll on a person. Ending a bad relationship is a good thing, but you may find it difficult to move on afterwards. Although regaining a good sense of self-esteem can seem difficult, it is important for your mental and emotional health.
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Instructions
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Give yourself some time to grieve. Loss is loss, and grieving the loss of a relationship is natural. Even if the relationship was very bad, the loss of it may bring feelings of sadness. Burying the feeling of sadness may cause the feelings to come up later in another form, even when you are in a new relationship with someone else. You may need a week or much longer, depending on your relationship. Take things easy and allow yourself to explore your feelings.
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Find someone supportive to talk to about your feelings. This may be a close friend who believes in you or a good counselor. It's important to feel that you aren't alone during this time, and it can be helpful to get some validation from others that you are a good person and that others care.
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Plan extra nice things for yourself to give yourself some tender loving care. This could be a trip to someplace you've always wanted to visit or a massage at a spa.
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Socialize with friends. You may not feel comfortable doing this right away, and that is normal and fine. After a while, however, you should get out of the house and be around people. The camaraderie can help you feel loved and alive, and it will remind you that as painful as the relationship was, life can go on and you can still have good times with people.
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Read humorous and uplifting books and watch funny movies. Laughter instantly lifts the mood and gets your mind off things. While it is important and normal to think about what went wrong in the relationship, it is also important to move on afterwards and allow yourself to feel good.
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