I  had originally planned on writing a super mushy post about love and what Valentine's Day has meant to me throughout the years, but in reality - it would've been a facade. The annual buzz around Valentine’s Day has left me, for a lack of a better word, annoyed. Truth is, after having gone through a breakup fairly recently, I'm still in an anti-love funk. I'm finding myself randomly thinking of all the what-ifs and the could-be's of the expectations I had for this day with my ex. Many of these feelings I thought I had buried deep in my memories so each reminder really just - stings. Now don't get me wrong, I've already gone through majority of my grief and recovery post-breakup phases and am finally starting to feel like a newer, learned-her-lessons-through-her-heartbreak version of myself. In an effort to pull myself out of this mood and gain my mental power back, I revisited a few of the strategies that helped me most immediately post-breakup.

With hopes to help anyone who might be going through a similar situation, whether around Valentine's Day or not, I present to you all a list of 'survival' tips that helped me refrain from drowning in the initial sadness of my breakup and catapulted me into an overall happier and healthier state of being.

1. CTRL-ALT-DEL

The first thing I did as soon as I realized my relationship no longer existed was destroy all evidence of it. Although that may come off a bit extreme, it was crucial for me to take this step. I know myself, like many others, can become obsessed with keeping tabs on my ex for whatever false sense of security doing that provides us with. That's why the initial relationship purge is such a crucial step. Unfollow, Unfriend, Unsubscribe. Undo just about anything that allows you to keep up with their life. Don't let yourself suffer through overthinking where they might be headed every time they insta-story a clip of them driving or who they might be with when they tweet a picture of their lunch. And of course, worst of them all - don't allow yourself to scroll through social media and stumble upon a picture of someone new they might be dating. The stomach dropping pain and confusion won't be worth it and will only leave you with anxiety.

2. FIND A DETOUR AROUND MEMORY LANE

In addition to clearing out social media accounts, make sure you avoid going down 'memory lane' at all costs. Get rid of photos, videos, gifts, music, and even any clothes that you directly relate to your ex. Now I know this one can be a bit tough. Depending on how long you and your ex were together, there might be a number of aspects of your life that could easily be remembrances of your old relationship. It's hard getting rid of old photos/videos of special and important moments of your life that your ex was a part of. In this case, I suggest removing them from your camera roll and either adding them to your hidden photos folder so that they're less accessible (Yes, theres a hidden photos folder on Iphones. You simply click the share icon under any photo or video and scroll down to "Hide." This places them in your hidden folder which should be under "Albums.") or placing them elsewhere like in a Dropbox account. This way you'll be able to keep the memories and can still come back to them once you're in a better emotional space.

I specifically added music to the list of things to get rid of because this is the one I'm most guilty of revisiting. We all have that song or maybe even a collection of songs that reminds us of that special someone. Well news flash - they aren't special anymore. Don't torture yourself with loops of Marvins Room and the such. I've found that listening to sad music is a guarantee to put a damper on my mood and is an easy thing to avoid. You only need to avoid it until you're able to hear it again without any longing thoughts of your ex. But any time before then, I'd suggest you saved yourself the heartache and just created new playlists.

Getting rid of your ex's clothes and personal belongings or any gifts they might've given to you is also one tip I know many people struggle with. Even I don't completely follow through with this one. Now when it comes to most clothes and personal belongings, I'd completely suggest tossing them. Their old hoodies and toiletries no longer serve any purpose in your life and getting rid of them will clear the space for you to fill with new things for yourself. Remember, the goal here is to create a new existence and step out of the space you shared with this person. With that being said, I've found myself holding gifts to a different standard than casual items. I'm mostly okay and open to keeping gifts that are functional. For example, my ex once gifted me a pair of sneakers and as I'm sure you're able to tell via my Instagram (@minamash btw), I'm pretty much a walking sneakerhead stereotype. Luckily, no level of heartache can overbear my love for a good shoe so it's pretty easy for me to look at a gift like that for exactly what it is instead of as a token of my past relationship. If you're anything like me, this one is definitely a case to case personal decision on whether you're truly emotionally attached to any item or not. Be honest about your emotions and make the healthiest decision for yourself.

3. NEW FLAMES

One of the best things you can do in efforts to come out of a post-breakup phase feeling like a newer version of yourself is discovering new favorites. This is the time for you to experiment with new tv shows, books, music, and even people. If continuing that series that you started watching with your ex is bringing up sentimental feelings then simply drop it and move on to the hundreds of other selections throughout the dozens of streaming platforms that exist. Give yourself some time to fall back in love with Netflix and chilling by yourself.

Another one of my personal favorite things to do to get my mind off something, or in this case - someone, is to go to buy a new book. Finishing an entire book, regardless of how short/long or easy/difficult, takes a level of discipline and commitment. It's the perfect brain challenge that'll keep your mind off of your ex and on whatever topic your choice of book is. Trust me on this one millennials, it's really not that bad and super effective.

Nothing works more effectively at leaving someone behind than moving towards new people. Now this isn't a green light to go find a rebound relationship. In fact, you shouldn't be looking for any new serious commitments. After taking the time to fall back in love with yourself, it's always fun to share a bit of your new and improved attitude towards life with different people. Go out to different social events and meet people that won't know to ask the dreaded "But you guys were so good together! What happened??" Try and say yes to different invitations that you would usually not consider. Being around new personalities will bring a refreshing feeling to your social life and you can have more control over what impression these people have of you. The key is to keep conversations light and simply enjoy yourself in your newly single freedom.

4. F IS FOR FRIENDS

No one knows how to bring you to better spirits than your own friends. Take this time to reach back out to the friends you might've spent less time with during your relationship or further developing new friendships you're making. Go on that boys trip or girls night out you've been putting on the back burner! This is the perfect transition for creating fun new memories with your homies to push the heavy ex related ones further back into your mind. Spoil yourself with new experiences and you'll be able to let go of any leftover resentment from your past relationship. The key is to go with the flow of your social life. Soon enough you'll have enough newness around you that will leave you feeling way more in control of your feelings and overall life.

Getting your heart broken is an unfortunate part of almost everyone's life. It's tough and believe it or not, it's necessary. It forces us to make room for realignment and growth. These few strategies helped me move all the way forward post breakup and I hope they come to some use for anyone in a similar situation. I'd love to know what different ways you all have overcome heartbreak. Leave a comment down below and let me know your favorite way to leave that ex in the past!