How to fix a broken heart based on science?

We all have faced situations where our hearts got broken for one reason or another. However, the heartbreak caused by the death of a loved one or significant other is the worst one to face. Unfortunately, there is no medicine for heartbreak, and we all know that. However, there are various ways to find peace in the pain.

Scientists agree that heartbreak hurts
Heal a broken heart after a breakup
After a death, how to heal a broken heart?

Scientists agree that heartbreak hurts

Scientists agreed that the pain of heartbreak is so intense that it feels like physical pain. In the study of 2011, it was noticed that individuals had similar brain activity when they saw a photo of an ex-love and when they burned their arm.

Broken hearts can even cause death. The early stages of grief can increase blood pressure and heart rate, which can increase cardiovascular risk.

An analysis of 2018 data found that widows and widowers were 41% more likely to die within 6 months of mourning their spouses. According to the researchers, it is linked to a 53 percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, the heartbreak came at the expense of their actual hearts.

How to fix a broken heart based on science

Heal a broken heart after a breakup

As a psychotherapist, Athena Staik shares three important tips to help you with heartbreak.

Understand the past

Be honest with yourself about what you just experienced. It’s good to look back on how you felt during the romance, from the beginning to the end, Staik says. Try to find patterns in your past relationships.

Prepare a self-care action plan

Even though it’s tempting to lie around in sweats and eat ice cream and pizza for days on end, taking good care of yourself now will prevent you from suffering later.

Staik advises people to lift themselves emotionally, mentally, and physically. Try to eat healthily, exercise, and stay away from sweets and alcohol.

Connect

Having someone around 24/7 can cause a shock to our system when they aren’t around. Staik suggests practicing deep breathing, yoga, and meditation. He also suggests connecting with trusted people.

After a death, how to heal a broken heart?

A loved one’s death is one of the most painful ways to break a heart. You can’t bring the person back, but you can mend the hearts left behind. Psychotherapist Julie S. Lerner gives some tips on coping with grief.

Allow yourself to cry

In Lerner’s view, ‘be strong’ does not mean keeping your feelings bottled up. You can express them in any way that feels good to you. Remember that no one has ever died from crying.

Make space for the loss

Trying to move on with the endless distractions available today can be tempting, but you can’t outrun grief forever. Stay focused on what you need to do and don’t fully involve yourself in other things. “There will always be loss in life, so take time to grieve,” Lerner advises.

Self-soothe

Enjoy life even during the grieving process. Lerner says people should dedicate time to the things they love and that make them feel good. Take a bath, buy yourself flowers, organize your house, talk to your pets – whatever works for you.””