Welcome to "5 Ways to Heal Your Broken Heart," a compassionate guide for navigating the challenging road of heartbreak and finding solace in the healing procedure. When our hearts are broken, it can feel as if the world has ended. But even in the depths of pain, there is a potential for development, renewal, and rediscovery of our inner strength.

Number one: reflective thinking. How many times have you told yourself, "Don't think about your ex after a breakup?" Everyone struggles to avoid these reflective thoughts. You   try everything to get rid of these romantic moments and happy memories, but they just keep   coming back, no matter how hard you try. The truth is, the more you resist, the worse it's going to get. It's all thanks to something called ironic process theory. If I tell you not to think about something, you're going to think about it. That's just the way your brain works, so when you tell yourself not to   think about your ex, guess what happens? Your brain can't think about anything else. You're trying so   hard to resist those memories that you're actually making them stronger. As backward as it sounds, a   great way to heal a broken heart is to think about the person who broke it. Let yourself experience those bittersweet memories.

 Number two: Fill your life with laughter when   you're feeling sad and overwhelmed. When you're feeling sad and overwhelmed, laughter is the best medicine. It boosts your mood, brightens your day, and clears your head each time you laugh. It's like therapy for your brain, so if you're hurting after a broken relationship, fill your life with as much laughter as you can. Do fun activities with your friends, listen to your favorite comedians, or just watch your pets be   their usual goofy selves. A laugh may not seem like much right now, but every time you crack   yourself up, you take one step closer to your normal, happy self.

Number three: find your independence. After a relationship ends, there's often a huge void in your life. Your ex took up   a lot of your time and energy, so without them, you might feel empty or aimless, so naturally you try to fill that void with anything you can whether it's hobbies, friends or new romantic partners you get desperate to make that emptiness disappear but hey you don't need anyone else to make you   happy you don't need anyone else to give your life direction you can do that all on your own   by rediscovering your independence you can heal your broken heart and rebuild your self-esteem   you'll get your confidence back you'll enjoy your passions more you'll gradually remember what it means to love yourself, and you'll grow stronger for it, so after a breakup be as active and independent as you can.

Number four: ditch social media. When your heart is broken, you might feel like wasting the day away on social media; it might distract you from thinking about your   ex, or maybe you're doing the opposite, trying to keep tabs on everything your ex is   doing. Either way, spending that much time on social media is really unhealthy, and it isn't helping you   heal your broken heart. Not only is it a waste of time, but social media also digs you deeper   into that pit of anxiety and grief. Each time you see a picture or post from your ex, it's going to take you one step backward. It'll make you angry, sad, and frustrated all over again, digging you into   an even deeper hole. After a bad breakup, get off social media for a while. Deactivate your accounts   or delete the apps from your phone. It doesn't have to be forever, but until you can get over your breakup, social media is never a good idea.
Number five: mutual understanding. In times of grief, one of the best things you can do is to find someone else who understands your pain. Someone who's gone through a similar experience knows just how challenging it can be. While it's helpful to talk to friends   and family, it might feel a little strange; they're trying to help you, but they don't really get it, and there's always a little bit of pity in their voice that just makes you feel worse. That's why   it's incredibly helpful to talk to someone who truly gets what you're going through. Maybe they   just experienced a bad breakup of their own. During that time, they might have struggled to fill the void or rediscover their independence. Now that you are in the same situation, they can genuinely   empathize and give you the kind of advice that will help you move past your pain.