Pffttht! Pffttht! Pffttht! That was the sound of three arrows straight to the heart in rapid order.
You didn't see it coming but living with the aftermath is painful in more ways than one.
There's the physical pain that goes along with overcoming breakups as well as the mental pain and the feelings of loss now that you've lost the person that was your best friend.
It's not an easy loss to overcome.
It shouldn't be easy to work through.
Otherwise the relationship wouldn't have really been worth all that much.
You may feel as though you've lost a piece of your soul along with your former lover.
It may be true to some degree.
You can work to put those pieces back together again and live a life that is different but so much richer and more blessed than before you met your ex.
Good relationships are like this once they end.
Not every relationship that ends is the result of a "bad guy" (or girl as the case may be).
Sometimes it's a mutual parting of the ways.
Sometimes it's been over for a long time but neither party wanted to officially end it.
Other times, there's still love but a hurdle that both parties seem powerless to cross.
So how do you go about overcoming breakups without losing your mind in the process? Take one step at a time.
It will do no good to dive head long back into the world of the single and will ultimately cause more problems than it solves.
Allow yourself a little time to grieve and come to terms with the breakup before you call yourself officially healed.
It takes time and the greater the depth of love you felt for your partner the longer it will take to completely heal.
Don't rob yourself of that important time or the acceptance that follows.