Everyone handles break ups differently. Some girls wear their broken hearts on their sleeves, others swallow their grief and take things in stride.
Either way, a good friend should be equipped with some strategies on how to remedy a bad love hangover. Here’s a little excerpt from our break up bible on how to help a friend get back in the game!
1. Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate!
According Dr. D Walcutt, chocolate can “boost brain levels of endorphins (natural opiates) as well as serotonin (a mood-altering chemical on which many antidepressants act)”. Simply stated, chocolate stimulates the production of the naturally occurring chemicals in our bodies that make us feel good. Try to avoid chocolate bars that are high in sugar, however. Dark chocolate is best – higher cocoa content means more positive health effects. For a friend having a hard time, it’s a great gift. Not only will the happy childhood connections make her smile, but it’s also literally what the doctor ordered!
2. Positive Dialogue
Since partners know so much about one another, chances are they know the special things to say in good times to boost each other’s egos. The 
down side to this, in a break up situation, is that partners also know just what insecurities to probe if they’re looking to break one another down. If your friend’s relationship ended in arguments, help boost her self-esteem again by reminding her of all her positive attributes. Try to prevent her from brooding over what he may have said to make her feel low. Conversations about her positive attributes will remind her of why he liked her in the first place, which combats the reasons things didn’t work out.
3. Get Back Out There
Don’t sit inside sulking! After the initial grace period of tears, pig-outs, and that Kelis song on repeat, go outside please! Since couples often end up being a package deal, sometimes after a break up, a former pair’s mutual friends feel weird about who to invite to what – so they don’t call at all! The best way to change that is to go to your favourite local spots and mingle with whoever – male or female. Winning people over will remind your friend of how charming she is, plus getting to know new people will take up her time so that she doesn’t sit around feeling bad for too much longer than necessary. As she rebuilds her own, independent social circles, she’ll lose her reliance on her man a lot faster than if she mends in private.
4. Encourage Her to Pamper Herself
Retail-therapy isn’t the only way to achieve step four, but it definitely part of the idea. Push her to buy that necklace she’s been eyeing, get her nails done, or try a new haircut. Big or small, the point is to help your friend reinvest some time and effort into making herself happy. The more she shines on the outside, the more her confidence will build, and the more magnetic she’ll be during her hard time.
5. Just Listen
The most important thing in being a loving friend in a tough time is to be there to listen. Even if your girl turns into a broken record, be the continuous support she needs until she’s out of the hardest parts of the experience. Remember, what goes around comes around, help and one day you’ll be helped too.
