How to Survive a Breakup and Find Love Again

A relationship with someone who truly understands and loves you can be an excellent and life-changing experience.

You might think that once it's over, it's over, but the opposite can be true.

Just because the relationship did not work out does not mean that your life has to end up in the chaos; instead, you can pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and then find love again with the right approach to dating and relationships.

Here are eight tips on surviving a breakup and learning to love again.

Don't Stop Loving

As much as it can hurt, it's important not to cut yourself off from love after a breakup.

It may seem like it will be easier that way, but you don't want to close yourself off from all of your romantic opportunities; you need some time apart.

To give yourself space in which to grieve and heal while also avoiding any temptations of getting back together with your ex:

Make sure you stay active when it comes to dating.

Meet new people regularly—whether through friends or online—and use them as social support.

Don't feel like you have to settle for just anyone either.

Don't Rebound Too Quickly

Even after you've had time to process your breakup, it can be tempting to pick up and start dating someone new—there's comfort in getting back out there.

But wait too long, however, and you risk feeling like you're just settling. Instead of looking for love right away, set some personal goals that allow you to work on improving yourself (i.e., focus on making more friends or learning a new skill).

Taking time for yourself will help you learn about what type of person would make a good partner for you—which is always important when trying to find love again.

Surround Yourself With Positive People

It's hard to feel hopeful when you're grieving.

It can be easy to fixate on how unfair your situation is or how unhappy your relationship turned out when you're alone.

If you find yourself in that position, try making plans with a friend instead of spending time online or watching depressing movies.

Your social circle will be able to provide an outside perspective—and there's no better way to get your mind off things than engaging in fun activities!

Spend Time Alone

We're told that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but that doesn't mean it has to be physical absence.

After a breakup, particularly a cruel one, time spent alone is time spent in self-reflection.

It can make you better understand your wants and needs to figure out what kind of relationship you want next.

That clarity will help guide your future interactions with potential mates—and help make it easier for them to pick up on what you're looking for if they come around again.

Take Care of Yourself First

When you're in love, it feels like nothing else matters.

You want your significant other to be happy, so you'll make any sacrifice until he or she breaks up with you.

And then suddenly it becomes about you.

• What does it mean for your future?
• Will anyone ever love me again?

When it comes to surviving a breakup and learning how to love again, take care of yourself first.

Make sure you have time for your friends and family members—the people who will support you through these difficult times.

Get Closure

Take time after a breakup to grieve, think through what went wrong, and get closure on your relationship.

Don't rush into another relationship just because you want some form of intimacy again; take your time as you try to understand what made your last relationship work or not work.

Remember that it's OK if you don't feel like dating for a while—the most important thing is figuring out what kind of person makes you happy in life.

That might be another romantic partner, but it also might be someone else entirely. Get creative with how you meet people!

Date Yourself First

It would help if you spent some time on yourself before deciding who to spend it with.

Give yourself some time for self-care to get your mind back in order and take care of any lingering emotions from your breakup.

Whether taking some time out of your day for yoga, putting on a movie, or getting lost in a book, make sure you focus solely on yourself!

This is especially important if you broke up with someone because they were not treating you right.

You don't want to start dating immediately afterward because that could be setting yourself up for disaster again.

Instead, focus on enjoying your single life before diving into another relationship.

Start Over

Whether you're dealing with heartbreak or a breakup, it can be not easy to imagine that things will ever be OK again.

When we lose someone we love, it's easy to fall into depression or dwell on negative feelings—especially if your ex was manipulative or hurtful.

But there are steps you can take right now to help you start over.

First of all, accept what happened (it was for reasons that had nothing to do with you), then work toward forgiveness.

When you stop letting your past pain affect your present happiness, you will begin moving forward toward brighter days ahead of you...and better relationships too!