Breakups are never easy. Learning to live life without a person whom you considered extremely close to you and assumably spent a lot of your time with, can never be. The aftermath of a breakup can put one in a real conundrum; because life as you knew it for a little while there, ceases to exist. It’s easy to feel a loss of balance and a sense of emptiness, but what you need to remember in such times is that the damage has already been done (or perhaps, undone). Breakups might be difficult, but they are not always a bad thing. It could be just what you need to have a better life or the life that you envision for yourself. Just knowing that might not always be enough in light of the sadness that you feel – but there are a few additional things you can do to help yourself deal with a breakup.

Here are a few little ways to deal with a breakup.

1. Talk about the relationship, but productively

Constantly talking about how much you miss him or crying over what could have been is never going to help. If you do, however, really need to talk about your ex or the relationship, talk about why breaking up might be the right decision for you.

Sit with yourself and introspect about all the different ways in which this could be beneficial for you. How will moving away from this person help your life, overall? If that’s too hard to do, ask your friends to give you their perspective on that relationship and why they thought it wasn’t right for you. There’s obviously no need to bash your ex or the relationship here, but sometimes, just listening to an objective third party opinion can give you some much needed clarity.

2. Take up a hobby

You know all that time you spent with your ex, wasting Sunday afternoons and midweek evenings, doing nothing at all? Well, now you have all that time to actually try something new. Join a book club. Take up a sport. Go take those music lessons you’ve been promising yourself you’ll start for the last six months. Being in a relationship can take up a lot of your time and effort. With that space open in your life now, you get to try new and exciting things. Make the most of this opportunity.

3. Get social

Remember all those times you ditched your friends and family to hang out with your ex? It’s time to make up for that. Give the people who love you some undivided attention. Not only will it make them feel good, but it will also help uplift your mood and spirit like nothing else. Go out dancing with your girlfriends or for dinner with your siblings. Do what makes you happy – just as long as you don’t stay cooped up in your bedroom, sulking and pining away.