As one can tell from the drastic shift in the outdoor clothing of many a Berliner (their flamboyant outfits are no longer covered by the oversized black/leopard print furs), spring is almost upon us. Tattoos will soon be exposed, blankets will be thrown on the Mauerpark ground, and you’ll drain Sterni in massive quantities. ‘Tis the season for love, but you’re still hung up on your latest flame? Unbreak your heart following these 5 easy steps.
Deal with it!
While you’re deep in conversation with your hurt self, you might be torn between the obvious heartache and the accompanying outrage that the surrounding world even dares to go on. Your whole self esteem has just been fed to the lions, and yet you’re still expected to show up at work and even interact with people. You’re walking down the street where your ex-sweetheart lives, you might even linger there for a little while which I can’t say I endorse but I do understand, you see the light behind the curtains you used to drawn with wild pleasure, and you’ve no idea how does your accusing look not set the whole thing on fire. Alas, there’s no poetic justice coming and you decide to do some groceries, even if it’s just in the hope of “accidentally” running into that impervious darling of yours. Hopefully you end up making some dinner at home, realizing how pointless your detour was with every next bite. To avoid this in the future, first thing you need to do is…
photo: Naomi August
Unfollow them!
Just do it. On any platform you can think of. Breaking up or even isolating yourself from toxic influences is really a challenge in the times of social media, where you only get to see the filtered version of their life, which is obviously way more enticing than the harsh reality. Seriously, there’s absolutely no reason you should be exposed to any of their posts. Even if you’re not psycho enough to actually stalk them and anyone that has ever left a comment on their profile, you may end up letting their pictures or witty comments make you forget about your bad experiences. And instead of doing that, you could learn from your mistakes. And not only yours…
photo: Tony Lam Hoang
Hear your friends out!
Because people you get to meet in Berlin are all so different, they can easily equip you with lots of advice for every possible life scenario, including a heartbreak, which is actually a pretty common phenomena. Just hear them out. Don’t assume your story is so special that no one could relate to it. What you’re going through might feel overwhelming, but hey, we’re in Berlin after all, and I’m sure there’s some bigger drama going on in Kotti or Hermannplatz right now. Don’t lock yourself up in a mental cell where only the only visitor allowed is your pain.
photo: Greg Raines
Get out there!
Spend more time outside, and I mean preferably some quality time with friends rather than binge dating, which may backfire when you accidentally match with someone who’s had a fling with your best friend what will only further shaken your already fragile mental state. Trust me, it’s a small world.
And while you’re making up to your friends for all the time you’ve been neglecting and/or traumatising them with the most recent whatsapp screenshots of the final remarks you exchanged with your ex-sweetheart, don’t forget to…
photo: Brooke Cagle
Make peace with yourself
Learn to regard “me-time” as a valid leisure activity. If you don’t want to go out, stay home. This doesn’t sound like rocket science, but anyone who’s ever struggled to keep awake at work knows it might be tricky to respect your bedtime. Go ahead and find out if you can be good company to yourself. Contrary to a popular belief, you don’t need a +1 to stroll down the Landwehrkanal.
photo: Eli DeFaria
