Want to know how to distract yourself from a breakup? Looking for things to do to distract yourself after a breakup? Then here’s 7 of the very best positive distractions after a breakup – our top 7 recommendations for things you can do to stay busy and sane, whilst healing from heartbreak.
How To Use Distractions After a Breakup (In The Right Way!)
So first up, when it comes to how to distract yourself from a breakup, I want to start by making this very clear –
You can’t CONSTANTLY distract yourself. That will make you slip into emotional avoidance and is not healthy at all. Instead, you want to feel your emotions, feel them fully, then use these positive distractions to shift your focus AFTER, so that you don’t stay stuck there and are able to continue to move forward.
These distractions are therefore to be used daily. It should be a constant cycle:
- Feel your emotions.
- When you’re done “feeling them”, shift your focus with one of these positive distractions.
- Feel your emotions.
- When you’re done “feeling them”, shift your focus with one of these positive distractions.
- Feel your emotions.
- When you’re done “feeling them”, shift your focus with one of these positive distractions.
And so on… You get the gist I’m sure!
How To Distract Yourself From a Breakup
So, what do you do? How do you distract yourself from a breakup? Well the key is to find things that:
- You want to do.
- That feel good to do.
- That require enough concentration, in order to actually distract you.
You also want to focus on positive or productive distractions after a breakup as these will help to make you feel good, rather than guilty!
For example, if you just watch TV every time you want to try to take your heart off the pain you’re feeling, you’ll end up wasting your days away which only makes you feel worse about yourself and in yourself.
Does this mean you can’t watch any TV? No way. But you probably want to pair it with something else – like walking on a treadmill to get the extra boost of endorphins and meet step 2 of it FEELING good, at the same time too, for instance.
So that’s why you want to find the sweet spot with the right distractions in order to successfully distract yourself from a breakup, in a positive way.
7+ Positive Distractions After a Breakup
So, what have we got? What are the best distractions after a breakup? Well, in no particular order…
1) Focus on Self Improvement
Focusing on self improvement is one of the best distractions, and luckily – there’s plenty of ways to improve yourself after a breakup… Ways which don’t involve fixating on your ex!
See, you may not always FEEL like it, but once you get into the habit of doing it – even if it’s something small every day – then you’ll find the desire increases as your sense of accomplishment grows.
So maybe one day you listen to a podcast, another day you read a new chapter in a book, the next day you tick off a key task from your personal development bucket list.
Or hey – why not take on this 30 Day Self Improvement Challenge to really throw you into it?! (It’s FREE!)
The options are endless, but it’s a really positive, productive and – actually surprisingly healing – distraction after a breakup that genuinely gets you moving forward.
2) Get Lost In a Good Book
Now reading can be part of self improvement. I mean, there’s plenty of empowering books for single women and books to re-build your confidence again.
The great thing is – you’ll always be spoilt for choice, so if you try one book and find you keep getting distracted (from your distraction!), you can always try another one, or try listening to it as an audiobook whilst walking out the frustration. (This always proves to be a good combo!)
Reading fiction books are also another great option, if you’re not looking to do anything too heavy and simply want to switch off.
I mean, interestingly, studies show reading for even just 6 minutes reduces stress levels by 68%. This makes it more effective than listening to music 61%, having a cuppa 54%, taking a walk by 42%, or playing video games 21%.
Crazy huh?! It’s therefore a surprisingly effective relaxation technique and a seriously under-rated distraction after a breakup!
Reading a fiction book allows you to escape into another world, a different life, even just for a little while. It’s also more proactive than watching TV as it requires more effort, so it’s certainly a win-win.
3) Focus on a Hobby or Develop a New Hobby
It’s never too late to get a new hobby. In fact, there are plenty of different hobbies for women that you can choose from. And honestly, I repeat – it’s never too late to start.
In fact, developing a new hobby is arguably even better after a breakup than doing one you already have, as there’s more of the learning curve that requires the extra concentration you need in order to effectively distract you.
Either way, finding time for things you love is undeniably a positive distraction after a breakup.
It’s also probably something you didn’t find enough time for when you were in a relationship before, either, which – in turn – helps you to better appreciate your new-found freedom.
4) Start a Side Hustle
Another great distraction after a breakup is to channel it into a new business idea / side hustle / venture. And I know what you’re thinking… “Well, I didn’t expect that one!”
But it’s something that I can personally vouch for and so therefore have to recommend.
See, I actually set up this blog after a breakup. I was driven by pure passion to turn my past struggles and heartache into something positive. Fast forward 4+ years and I’m still blogging full-time, alongside coaching, so it really did grow into the most fulfilling career.
I share this to show you just what’s possible when you set your mind to something and have strong reasons “why” you want to do it.
Was you in a toxic relationship? Did your ex make you believe you couldn’t do something? Or maybe you just always put them first? Well now’s the time to do what YOU want to do!
Starting a side hustle really can be one of THE BEST distractions after a breakup, as it gives you real focus and shifts your priorities.
Just be sure to also schedule time for self care if you’re doing this alongside a full time job so that you don’t end up burning yourself out.
See it as something to do that replaces the time you used to spend with your ex. Remember, it’s never too late to start over or recreate yourself…
5) Start a Project
Another very similar alternative, is to forget making money and instead, channel your focus into something as a project.
This could still be something like blogging or business related – only you’re doing it for a different reason.
Projects can also be all things, big and small. For instance, consider things like:
- Home projects.
- DIY projects.
- Reorganising.
- Craft projects.
- Building something.
- Creating something.
- Researching something even.
There’s endless options. Just find something that actually excites you or you’d find rewarding as that’s the key when it comes to effective break-up distractions!
6) Write in a Gratitude Journal
A gratitude journal provides endless, daily opportunities to distract you from your spiralling thoughts and shift your focus from the breakup to what you are actually thankful for and happy about. (Even if you thought there was nothing at all!)
It’s an immensely simple yet effective tool, helping you to feel better after a breakup.
Writing in a gratitude journal doesn’t take long so it’s a fast easy positive breakup distraction that you can do before moving onto something else, or use as a quick reset to shift your state, at any time of the day.
There’s also ALWAYS something to be thankful for, and the more you do it – the more you realise that.
Simply start by reading one of our empowering breakup affirmations to get you in the right mood, then write, write, write, and feel your feelings start to shift!
7) Exercise!
Last but not least, we can’t end this list before mentioning exercising as a positive distraction post-breakup.
See, physically moving can actually shift you out of a negative state in itself. There’s power in how you move your body, you see, not to mention the endorphins with flow from exercising!
Try an exercise class or use running as your emotional release. Experiment to find out which exercise works best for you, then use it in times that you need.
Just be sure to keep FUELLING your body too. After all, weight loss is common after a breakup.
In fact, studies show women lose 5lbs on average in the first month after a break-up if they did not initiate the split, so be careful with it.
Instead, focus on using exercise in healthy ways that support both your body and your mind, and it’ll soon become one of the most satisfying post breakup distractions you can turn to.
That’s All For This One
So there we have it – that rounds up our 7 top recommendations for positive distractions after a breakup. I really hope this helps.
Remember, it won’t always be this way. It sounds cliche, but time really is a healer, especially when you spend that time doing the right things.
Just hang on in there. You’re doing far better than you think.
Love,
Ell_xx
