OK, there probably is — but it sure doesn’t feel that way when you’re going through it. Then, you become an all-consuming mess, and it can be difficult to think rationally. You may, for instance, believe that you’ll never be happy again. None of it is true!
It’s awful when you’re going through heartbreak. It’s bad when a friend is. They will become a shell of their former selves. You’ll know that they’ll get through it, but they don’t!
So how can you support your friend through this trying time?
We’ll take a look at some effective tips below.
Immediate Response
You can work on making your friend broadly better at some point. But that won’t be your job in the first days and weeks following the breakup. At that point, you just need to do what everyone needs their friends to do — be there to wallow in the misery with them.
Pretty much the only thing you need to do is get together, share a glass of wine or a beer, and talk it all out.
Breaking up is a much worse experience for people who don’t get to have this experience.
Allowing to Vent
Your friend is going to be a ball of emotions. They need to let it out.
A good friend won’t just allow their friend to vent; they will actively encourage them to do so.
This is an especially recommended way to help a divorced friend, since they may be dealing with more raw emotions, such as anger.
Those feelings won’t disappear all on their own — they have to be let out. Also, a word of advice: don’t try to diplomatically take the side of the other person if the friend isn’t doing so. They’re the bad person in this story.
Fun Times
Your friend is going to spend many hours wallowing in misery when they’re going through their breakup.
So why not look at giving them a bit of a break from this experience?
There’s always something fun to do! Your friend might not feel like having fun, but that doesn’t matter.
They don’t need to have fun. They just need to be out there with you.
The good part is that they likely will end up having fun. Trust us when we say that they’ll appreciate this more than you can realize.
Back on the Horse
Your friend won’t want to think about dating anytime soon.
But at some point, they’ll be ready to see who else is out there. You might need to cajole them a little because this can be a little challenging for some people.
Do you know someone with whom they might get along well? Can you go out onto the town with them, and get speaking to some people?
It’s not about finding the next love of their life. It’s just about taking baby steps and showing them that life goes on and that they’ll surely meet someone else in the future if they’re out there.