Breakups are difficult, and with Valentine’s Day approaching,the end of a relationship can feel harderto deal with, especially when everyone else is planning dates and showering their partner with gifts.
According to oneYouGov survey, almost half of people believe it is best to break up with a partner before Valentine’s Day. The annual celebrationis a time when manyreflect on their relationship,which can result in partnerships coming to an end.
Practising healthy habits and mindfulness following a breakup may help you deal with the negative feelings that come with a relationship ending.
With this in mind,theexpertsat the all-in-one mental health solution Meditopia have put together a mindfulness guide that will help you navigate a breakup and help you feel like yourself again.
Mindful eating and drinking
We rarely pay attention to food or the action of eating during meals as we tend to be talking with others or watching television.Food brings joy andisworth paying attention to. Try these steps during your next meal:
- Pay attention to where you are eating, whether you are in your room, restaurant, garden, or kitchen.
- Find a comfortable position and visualise your food.
- What’son your plate? Look and smell the food and drink before you taste it.
- Bring attention to yourself. Are you hungry? Thirsty? Are there other feelings present? Focus on your sensations.
- Now, mindfully taste the food. Chew each bite slowly with joy. Bring your attention to your sensations. How does it taste? Enjoy the food you are eating. Check your satiety now and then by gently asking yourself how you feel. Is it enough or do you need more?
- Practice gratitude towards the food as you finish eating.
Mindful communication
Increased mindfulness about how you communicate can create a safe, secure, and nourishing relationship with others where your needs and wishes are both seen and heard. Try these exercises to engage in mindful communication:
- Join the conversation withafull focus on the communication.
- Realise where you are. Are you sitting or standing? What is the weather like? Recognise the tone of the conversation and the emotions it is making you feel.
- Listen to the other person with full attention, really digesting the conversation and the message they’re trying to convey.
- Identify your feelings and reactions during the conversation.
Mindful movement and outdoor activities
When we exercise, we tend to distract ourselves from our heightened heartbeat and sore muscles to get it over with, to move past the more difficult parts. But just as in life, the more we escape from the uncomfortable feelings, the more we carry their stress within ourselves. Moving mindfully is a nice reflection of our mindset inourdaily lives.
- Visualize yourself. Try to imagine how you would look if you were able to watch yourself from afar.
- Push through the ground with your feet, standing tall and still.
- Open your chest up to the sky.
- Roll your shoulders back.
- Take a few very slow steps, monitoring each component of those steps as if you just learned how to walk, as if you were describing it to someone who has not walked yet.
- Ask these questions of yourself with the curiosity of a child: Are you comfortable moving? How does your body tend to move? How does it feel to move?
- Explore the constant change. Notice how your body adapts to those changes and how it fluctuates within a movement.
- Notice if the movement in your body coincides with the shifts in your mind. The posture of your body might help you to get a stronger and more confident perspective.
Being mindful of your body will enable you to realize what it needs at that moment and to treat yourself with compassion and patience during movement. Practice moving mindfully during the day, not just during exercise, and try to see if there’s any difference.
Yoga, Pilates, running, dancing, and other forms of exercise are also great opportunities to practice mindfulness as all of them require you to be present and pay attention to your breathing. Focus on activities that make you feel good and bring you joy.
Based on research carried out by Bumble, the standard time frame to heal from a breakup is around three to six months. This allows for you to put these self-care tips into practice.
Fatih Mustafa Çelebi, Co-founder and CEO of Meditopia,adds,
“A breakup can feel tough at the best of times, but during a holiday such as Valentine’s Day, heartbreak can feel over whelming. How to deal with a breakup is entirely up to the individual experiencing it. Grieving it,taking time for yourself, or spending time with friends are all ways to get throughit.
“According toThe British Psychological Society,15% ofUK adults have tried some form of mindfulness, with more NHS trusts recommending mindfulness to patients. Mindfulness is the practice of being in the present moment and experiencing what is happening now. Mindfulness does not have to be limited to a certain period or activity; it can be embedded in all aspects of your life. The more you practice mindfulness, the more it will come naturally to you and ultimately guide you through difficult times in your life, such as a breakup.
“Mindfulness may not work for everyone, but for those experiencing a tough time,it may be the way forward.”
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