I Asked My Friends How to Get over Heartbreak

For the ones going through heartbreak

Artwork by author (Agnes). Find more illustrations on my Instagram!

I understand that there are no shortcuts. That no matter how well things ended, how much we talked, and heartily wished each other the best, no matter how much I believed we could one day be friends, it was always going to hurt.

The days feel so heavy with it, it feels like more time has passed. Like surely twenty four hours can’t hold that much grief. Time stretches and collapses till I find myself wondering how long it’s actually been.

My friends check in, and they all say the same thing. They tell me to give it time. And I wonder if that’s all there is to it, so I asked. How did you get over your last heartbreak? Was there anything that helped? Not looking for a magic cure but maybe there’s something to soften the sting. Like when we give kids the fun band-aids with minions or princesses.

I asked my friends how to get over heartbreak and in different languages and different levels of directness, they said similar things.

Time.

Everyone’s favorite. Tiempo al tiempo. Give it time. This too shall pass. It always does.

Cut contact.

At least for now. A part of you might rebel against contact zero, fight it. A moment of…