My List of Coping Skills for a Breakup

There are coping skills for breakups, but learning them took me a while. One of the things I hate most about the summer is that it seems to be my season of breakups. Every time it happened years ago, I felt like something was wrong with me. I lost hope in ever having a lasting relationship. My mind went to dark places for several months. This time, however, I have techniques to ease the healing process. Continue reading to learn about my list of breakup coping skills.

7 Coping Skills to Heal from My Breakup

Here are seven things I do to cope with a breakup:

1. I take LinkedIn Learning courses. LinkedIn Learning is a cool website because it has valuable courses that paid members can use to improve their skills. In the past, I took courses on dealing with anxiety at work and how to build confidence. Those courses helped me with productivity and self-esteem. My membership will end in September. I am going to take advantage of it by taking new courses this month.
2. I help texters on the Crisis Text Line. When I went through crises in the past, it always helped to have someone listen to me vent. The crisis text line counselors validated my feelings and helped me work through them to brainstorm coping plans. While dealing with personal mental health issues, it does not hurt to help others through theirs. To counsel others while ensuring that I will not burn out emotionally, I am limiting myself to five texters per week.
3. I enhance my social circle. After going through a breakup, it is always tempting to isolate myself from others. That way, I will not be triggered by happy couples. But more time to myself makes me feel worse because I am not connecting with the community. As an ambivert (both an introvert and extrovert), I value face-to-face interaction. So, I join support groups and creative art events where I will make new friends who understand me. Also, instead of dating this month, I will spend more time with my family and current friends in person.
4. I learn to be okay with myself. This might sound contradictory to my previous point, but it is critical to do everything in moderation. While spending time with others is important, it is also vital to love myself. Spending time with people helps me get to know and appreciate them more. I need to do the same thing to myself by doing what I enjoy, such as writing, coloring, and working out.
5. I work toward my goals. Lately, I have been wanting to get my driver's license and lose weight. Having more free time gives me more opportunities to work toward my goals. By staying busy, I have less time to think about my sadness. Also, getting closer to my goals helps me feel better about myself. It's easier to think about everything I have been doing right instead of ruminating over what I did wrong.
6. I keep seeing my therapist. My therapist helps me to notice when my thoughts become irrational. She encourages me to acknowledge the good things in life. I keep seeing her and describing my feelings about my breakup. She helps me revise my recovery plan if it is necessary. 
7. I allow myself to cry. While I have many coping skills, there are days when I need to cry. Instead of becoming ashamed about it, I let the tears fall without judgment.

Hopefully, these ideas will help me to heal from my breakup quickly. Do you have any tips for coping after a breakup? If so, share them in the comments.