Glancing at the time on your phone, you realize it’s 3:00 AM. Chocolate bar wrappers cover your bed. Mascara stains appear on your pillow. Tissue boxes are scattered on your floor. Romantic comedies with two-star ratings are in your recommended section on Netflix. You promise yourself that you’re no longer gonna cry, but you break that promise too many times to count.
Heartbreak. The intense feeling of anguish and despair that hits you after a relationship ends. Millions of poems have depicted this emotion yet there seems to be no cure for it, because no matter how many times you hear about the pain of being heartbroken, nothing competes with actually experiencing it. Despite the burden that comes with it, heartbreak isn’t entirely negative. Being intimate with someone to no longer having them in your life is hard, but just because something is difficult does not mean it’s horrible. Similar to falling in love, falling out of love can be equally as enriching.
Although one cannot deny the joy that comes with having a partner, one cannot also forget that solitude is something to admire as well. As someone who has always identified as an introvert, I suppose I’m a bit bias but anyone can benefit from time spent alone. You begin to learn things about yourself that you would not notice in the company of others. Instead of feeling as if you must please someone, you gain a sense of freedom and liberation. Putting your emotions in the hands of another person can sometimes be the result of a relationship. This type of dependency is toxic as you allow someone other than yourself to be in control of who you are, therefore you may feel as if you cannot mend the pain of heartbreak. Being alone can help you reevaluate yourself, and can reignite old passions that you may have neglected while in the relationship. Embracing the beauty of independence is not only crucial while dealing with heartbreak, but is vital in one’s entire self-love journey.
Another way in which you can find something special within heartbreak is by using your experience as artistic inspiration. From the Renaissance to modern times, people have been unapologetic about expressing their heartbreak. During times of suffering, it is important to have a platform in which you can release your thoughts. Art, whether you wish to paint or write, can help transform your negative energy into something beautiful. Once your emotions have been conveyed, it is much easier to cope and move forward. Art helps diminish the agony of heartbreak while simultaneously bringing it to life through a song or a poem, as it lets you grow while allowing you to reflect.
It all comes down to this: heartbreak is harsh, but it is just as necessary as falling in love. As William Faulkner writes, “The saddest thing about love, Joe, is that not only the love cannot last forever, but even the heartbreak is soon forgotten.” We can appreciate being heartbroken as a phase in our life where we can learn that, despite the bliss that comes with having the affection of others, the love from within conquers all.
