"How To Get Over a Breakup" by Brianna I

            It’s happened to the best of us. It’s something in life that’s pretty much inevitable. Many of us have or most likely will experience a breakup. Dealing with a breakup is not always easy. However, maybe this step-by-step guide will help you out.
Tools: All you really need is yourself. You must be strong and show him/her that you are capable of being on your own and that you do not need them.
Step 1: Assess the situation. In your head, go through the breakup and bring to light any possible event that could have caused the breakup. Were you guys separated by distance? When did you feel like everything was first starting to go wrong? This step is important because when you think about each piece of the breakup separately, it starts to become clearer as to how or why it happened.
Step 2: Separation. Cut them off completely. Throw all of their gifts, letters, pictures, etc. away. Delete their contact off of your phone. Unfollow them on social media. Do everything possible to make sure you never hear their name again. This step is necessary in order to move on because you force yourself to get rid of the things that will remind you of them.
Step 3: Move on. It’s as simple as that. They do not want to be with you anymore. Their chapter in your story has ended and it’s time to focus on other things. This step is important because in order to get over a breakup, you have to distract yourself.
Step 4: Realization. Realize that this list was up until this point useless. That this list is impractical and that there is no easy way to get over a breakup. Yes, you’re allowed to cry. Cry all you want. Even when people tell you not to, cry until you feel as if you have run out of tears, then cry some more. Eat your favorite tub of ice cream at night alone while watching cheesy romance movies. Hang out with friends who understand you. The ones that will let you cry on their shoulder and that are just there for you even if they say nothing because sometimes that’s all you need. A silent hug from a friend is more effective than a friend who tells you to just move on and forget about them or one that tells you cliché life expressions about life being too short or other fish in the sea. They think they are helping but they aren’t. When they tell you that, you realize that life is too short and that there are 7 billion people in the world, but you don’t want another fish. You want that fish. The only fish that mattered. The fish that knew how to make you smile when you were sad and knew how to laugh with you when you were happy. The fish that swam faster and better than all of the other fish. The one that you’d do anything for even if they broke you.
            So yes, you’re allowed to feel sad. You’re allowed to stay in bed all day, crying. You’re allowed to think about and hate the idea of someone else in their arms, someone else wearing their jacket, someone else staying up late with them talking about their “forever’s” and “I love you’s”. You’re allowed to listen to sad music and read sad poetry. You’re allowed to look at old pictures of them and old text messages from them. You’re allowed to keep their stuffed animals on your bed and their letters and jewelry on your nightstand. You’re allowed to get all of this out of your system because this is the only way to move on. You have to realize that this takes time and it isn’t the same for everyone. This breakup could affect you for weeks, months, years even. Let it. Don’t try to stop the sadness from happening because that will only make things worse. Don’t bottle everything up inside because you’re only hurting yourself more. Like most things in life, it just takes time.
            ​One day, you will wake up and you will feel better. Like something has been lifted off of your chest. You’ll start to realize that there were times that you were happy without them. You’ll realize that you can move on and that with time the right person will come. You’ll realize that you deserve the world and more. But for now, you’ll be content with just living. An unknown author once said, “Everything in life is temporary. So if things are going good, enjoy it because it won’t last forever. And if things are going bad, don’t worry. It can’t last forever either.”
            ​I’ve taken the broken pieces of my heart and built myself a castle out of them. I’ve cried sometimes at 3 in the morning seemingly for no reason, but knowing it was because of him. I was so focused on what I wanted that I didn’t realize what I deserved. Everyone deserves happiness and right now my happiness stems from my friends and family who love and support me. The ones that deserve me at my best because they’ve seen me at my worst. So yes, it seemed like my life was over and it still feels that way. But life is all about change and so far I’m content with my life. I don’t regret anything that’s happened nor would I change it. He’ll always be my favorite what if and I wish him the absolute best. He was an amazing chapter in my story, but we must go our separate ways.