An end of a relationship not only sucks, but it can also be hard. Processing the experience can be tiresome and painful because it requires us to mourn more than just the loss of a person; we also grieve for the loss of the connection, of our sense of self, and of our imagined future.
As a society, we tend to underestimate the impact a relationship’s ending can have on us. Often people will say things like “it’s time to get over it” or “get back out there” before the individual is ready or has healed. The truth is that avoiding the aftermath can be detrimental to future relationships.
Listed below are seven questions that may be worth reflecting on as you begin to make sense of the experience and integrate it into who you are today.
- What did I learn?
- What must I have to mourn?
- What do I need so I can heal?
- What do I need in order to seek closure?
- What will I cherish from the relationship?
- How did I evolve as a result of this relationship?
- How do I feel about myself as a consequence of what has happened?
Next time you struggle post-breakup, give yourself room and time to come up with the answers.
Identifying your loss can be a powerful experience.
—
This post was previously published on medium.com.
***
You may also like these posts on The Good Men Project:
 White Fragility: Talking to White People About Racism |
 Escape the “Act Like a Man” Box |
 The Lack of Gentle Platonic Touch in Men’s Lives is a Killer |
 |
—
Photo credit: Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash
