There's no easy way to get over a broken heart. When you lose someone you love, whether it's a mutually agreed-upon parting of ways or an unexpected ending, you can experience physical pain, in addition to emotional pain, because being rejected stimulates the same part of your brain that responds to pain. In addition to losing a person you care about, you may also have to deal with changing finances, living situations or friendships, none of which is easy to cope with.
Step 1
Talk to your friends and family about how you're feeling, says Naomi Eisenberger, a social psychologist at the University of California at Los Angeles, who has investigated the relationship between breakups and physical pain. Eisenberger says a bad breakup can feel physically painful, but spending time with people who care about you triggers your brain's production of pain-alleviating opioids.
Step 2
Release your relationship by consciously letting it go, recommends Sally Kempton, author, a meditation teacher and the founder of the Dharana Institute. In Yoga Journal, Kempton recommends creating a mantra, such as "I release our relationship to the universe" or "I let you go to your separate path," that you can repeat every time you think of your lost love.
Step 3
Practice meditation techniques to find one you're comfortable with, says Diana Kirschner, psychologist and author of "Love in 90 Days: The Essential Guide to Finding Your Own True Love." Meditation helps you find peace in the moment, which can ultimately help you make peace with your past and your broken heart,Kirschner says.
Step 4
Engage in an imaginary conversation with your lost love during which you detail your anger, as well as your happiness in your lost relationship. Though talking to yourself may seem a little crazy, it's actually a good catharsis, and more effective than an actual conversation, says Holly Prigerson, associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
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