How to Heal Your Broken Heart! 12 Steps to New Possibilities & Finding Happiness!
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How to Heal and Recover from a Broken Heart
And a Saddened Mind is Easier with this Heartwarming Guide to Follow
A broken heart is a figure of speech, (also referred to as broken heart syndrome) that describes the intense emotional stress and pain that is felt when experiencing great loss or a deep longing either for a better life or deeper relationships. In the midst of this heartbreak and pain, it can be easy to forget to take care of yourself, your health, and your personal needs. But these experiences aren’t just emotional experiences, they also deplete you physically.
Research has confirmed that physical and emotional pain travel along the same pathways in the brain, leading to health decline both physically and mentally. By becoming aware of this, understanding how the experiences affect you, and taking action to assist your heart and mind to heal, you will unlock the key to your recovery.
In this article, you will discover the signs, symptoms, some of the causes, and a 12 Step Ultimate Guide on how to heal, explore new possibilities, and find happiness once again.
Signs and Symptoms of a Broken Heart
The signs and symptoms of a broken heart vary for each person, depending on the situation and circumstances. These often come about in stressful situations and when emotions are heightened. This condition can also be triggered by a serious physical illness or surgery.
Some of the initial signs and symptoms can be:
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Palpitations – faster or irregular heartbeat
- Nausea/vomiting
- Fear: Panic
These symptoms can mimic those of a heart attack, so if they continue important to seek medical attention immediately if you experience them. Broken heart syndrome can affect part of the heart but usually resolves within a few days or weeks with proper care and recovery guidance.
However, some people may have complications such as heart failure, arrhythmias, or blood clots. There are conditions such as cardiomyopathy, stress cardiomyopathy, or apical ballooning syndrome, that can also be linked. If you are concerned about these symptoms and they continue it is vital that you seek medical attention. Either by calling an ambulance or having a person take you to the emergency department with your closest hospital.
Some of the Causes include:
- Grief from the unexpected death or illness of a close relative
- Divorce
- Domestic abuse
- Vehicle accident
- Bad news such as a frightening medical diagnosis
- Financial loss or job loss
- Major surgery
- Strong arguments, betrayal
- Disappointment from failure
- Breaking up of a close friendship or relationship
- Family disagreements or estrangements
These signs and symptoms are more common among women going through menopause, and people with neurological or psychiatric conditions, but to heal from a broken heart, no matter what the cause, the 12 steps outlined here will be instrumental for you in developing new possibilities & finding happiness!
Healing a Broken Heart – 12 Step Ultimate Guide
Healing a broken heart can be a difficult process, and you will experience every emotion possible. But there are things you can do to support yourself through the healing process and protect your physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
- Give yourself permission to grieve, feel, and heal. Grief is different for everyone, and the best thing you can do is to give yourself permission to feel all of your sadness, anger, loneliness, or guilt. These emotions are natural, and they are important for your recovery.
- Take care of yourself. When you’re in the midst of heartbreak, it’s easy to forget to take care of your personal needs. But grieving isn’t just an emotional experience, it also depletes you physically. Deep breathing, meditation, and exercise can be great ways to preserve your energy. But don’t beat yourself up over it, either. Simply making an effort to eat and stay hydrated can go a long way. Take it slow, one day at a time.
- Express your needs to people: let people know if you require space and time to be alone. (But do not overdo it). Everyone copes with loss differently, and communicating how you are coping is vital. Many people have felt the same way and will understand your need for time and space.
- Write down your thoughts: but keep them private: do not share them with social media or people you barely know or trust. Divide them into three columns: one for your rational thoughts, one for your irrational ones, and one for how to transform the irrational thoughts into a more balanced and reasonable perspective.
- Shift your focus: Instead of focusing on the painful experience or event, shift your focus to paying more attention to your home life, your work, starting a new hobby, volunteering, or helping a friend.
- Allow your emotions to flow: Unexpected moments will trigger emotions, and talking with a trusted friend, family member, or therapist can help you cope with them. This will help to bring clarity and healing or what I refer to as “Getting your Head in the Right Space.” If sharing your feelings, is uncomfortable, then it can be helpful to include these when writing down your thoughts.
- Feel better by exercising and moving your body: Research shows us that exercise and movement ease mood swings, stress, and anxiety. They are healthy ways to overcome and improve feelings of anxiety, sadness, lethargy, and a “broken heart”.
- Avoid situations, people, or places that overwhelm you, or trigger painful memories of your broken heart. This may only be temporally, especially during special or sensitive occasions like Birthdays, Christmas, Easter, etc.
- Understanding what meaning or learning came out of your painful experience. Depending on the experience, will help to build clarity, depth, and understanding over time as to how this was essential as part of your life growth.
- Don’t entertain any thoughts of blame: Blame is self-destructive, and a process that doesn’t empower you to move forward and heal.
- Open your heart to new experiences and your eyes to perspectives: The best way to heal your broken heart, is to respect the past, but embrace the future by building new experiences and perspectives. Don’t allow yourself to stay in a “rut”: Challenge yourself to do the things you’ve always wanted to do and see the things you’ve always wanted to see. Write a “bucket list”.
- Don’t let bitterness, anger, resentment, or regret rob you of living a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life.
Summarizing How to Heal from a Broken Heart!
No matter what the reason or cause behind your broken heart, it can be difficult working through the array of emotions and feelings that you are presented with. In this 12-step ultimate guide, I have kept it Simple, Easy, effective strategies that when followed will help support you through these difficult times.
