


Lead the way in letting people know what you needĮveryone copes with loss in their own way, says Kristen Carpenter, PhD, a psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Simply making an effort to eat and stay hydrated can go a long way.

But don’t beat yourself up over it, either. Indeed, research has shown that physical and emotional pain travel along the same pathways in the brain.ĭeep breathing, meditation, and exercise can be great ways to preserve your energy. But grieving isn’t just an emotional experience, it also depletes you physically. When you’re in the midst of heartbreak, it’s easy to forget to take care of your personal needs. “Sometimes by doing that, you unconsciously give those around you permission to feel their own grief, too, and you won’t feel like you’re alone in it anymore.” You just might find that a friend’s gone through similar pain and has some pointers for you. Grief is not the same for everyone, says Palumbo, and the best thing you can do for yourself is to give yourself permission to feel all of your sadness, anger, loneliness, or guilt. It’s essential to look after your own needs after heartbreak, even if you don’t always feel like it.
