A breakup can be a life-changing epiphanic moment. Once the despair has passed, it makes you want to take charge of your own life again and do something out of the box. There are many things you do after a breakup initially to nurse your healing heart. Going to the gym too often, joining a kickboxing class, taking a trip to Florida with your friends or literally buying a new house.

With a newly single you, comes a new perspective and that makes you want to shake things up in life a little bit. What’s interesting, is that these things can be both good and bad. While some of us resort to healthy coping mechanisms, some of us first put ourselves through some truly weird phases before we’re are in a better place.

5 Crazy Things People Do After A Breakup

I remember my obsession with poetry went into overdrive after my first serious breakup. But even though my mother thought my melancholy was maddening, it wasn’t really that extreme in the strictest sense. Because a broken heart can make people do the most unthinkable, catastrophic and crazy of thins. I was not even close.

Frankly, the crazy things you do after a break up shouldn’t be counted within the first 3 months because that’s when you are most sensitive. Unless of course you become a psychopathic killer to deal with the trauma. Now that is unacceptable. But if you ever had your heart broken in thousand pieces, you know what we are talking about. We all take our own paths when figuring out how to get over a breakup and some of those paths are indeed a little crazy.

If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “I acted crazy after my breakup”, then this post is for you. The post-breakup phase is the time when your heart needs some tending to heal and doing some insane, extreme and undreamt of things is one of the most popular choices among people who go through this unsettling emotional ride called a break up. These are the top five that stand out!

Related Reading: Breakup healing process

1. Getting a pet

Remember how Ross from F.R.I.E.N.D.S got a pet monkey called Marcel after his divorce? A lot of people do the same in real life too. Yes, getting a monkey can be one of the things you do after a breakup! Now getting a puppy is surely not extreme, but wild for many. Why? If you ask any pet owner, they will tell you that raising a pet is like raising a little child. But some people think that the answer to how to deal with a breakup is by finding something new to love.

A pet is a massive responsibility so if you don’t have the financial and mental capability of investing your time, don’t go for it. Moreover, your breakup affects a pet too as your depressive symptoms might start showing up in them. But most often after a bad break up, in our most vulnerable time, we tend to look for happiness and pure bliss to end our loneliness by splurging on a pet. While it’s a beautiful investment, it’s also a lot of responsibility that we shouldn’t forget.

2. Seeking adventure

Sometimes, depending on the intensity of the break up and your emotional investment to your ex, after a bad break up you literally gotta pack your bags and leave. It’s not the time for white sand beaches and silence of the jungle, it’s the time to seek adrenaline rush, extreme weather and exhaustion, and finding that pure bliss in the process.

It’s something that people experience either in a fulfilled, romantic relationship or in the wild mountains. One of the things you do after a breakup to clear your head is to escape into solitude. Maybe the mountains can provide one some solace and ease to clear the mind and come back with a better perspective.

3. Quitting a job and going backpacking

Perhaps you have always lived a normal life of routine and simplicity that your parents had chosen for you. Perhaps the relationship took a toll on your identity before it officially ended. It’s a testing time for you after the break-up and to break free of every chain. People often respond to that call by resigning from the job and going backpacking through Europe (if they have handsome savings) or Asia (if they are less well off) and enjoy being happily single.

Related Reading: How To Get Through A Breakup Alone?

Yup, love makes you do stupid things like reorganizing your life completely. Although this extreme step can turn wonderful for many who found their true passion after hitting the road. One of the things to do after a breakup that can completely change your life is finally use the pain to find yourself. Many such break-up survivors become freelance photographers, bloggers and yoga trainers to satiate the wanderlust.

4. Getting a scholarship

People like these are the epitome of what motivational speeches give examples of. After a bad break-up our mind becomes a mess of lost self confidence, barren aspirations and a load of self pity. To free the mind rom this clutter, a lot of people choose to pour all their energy into something constructive and awesome. This is how to not go crazy after a breakup. Simply use your rage and energy to do something good for yourself.

Sometimes that can be to bag a bad-ass scholarship or crack the toughest competitive exams. Now this is the best kind of extreme, don’t you think? I’d sign up for a breakup if it made me more productive.

Related Reading: The 7 stages of a breakup

5. Made out with the ex’s best friend

As we said before, this period is not the time to judge people because one does all kinds of things to make themselves feel better. We can only imagine what break ups do to people in generalized sense. We can’t comprehend the level of the pain, which varies from person to person. Let’s not decide the general rule for how to deal with a breakup. Everyone has their own ways.

Especially in case of relationships that ended as a result of betrayal in a relationship, the victims often feel a rush of all kinds of emotion and resort to taking revenge by sleeping with the ex’s best friend. Is this a good way to get back at your ex? Certainly not. But is it the most extreme? If we are not considering breaking his nose and setting his clothes on fire, then yes.

So do you agree with these bizarre things you do after a breakup or have you done something crazier? What did you do to get over your last breakup? Share with us in the comments below.

After a painful breakup, Sarah turned to alcohol to numb the ache, isolating herself and neglecting her well-being. Her downward spiral led to hospitalization, where she finally received the help she needed. With therapy and support, Sarah embarked on a journey of healing, reminding us that even in the darkest moments, there’s hope for recovery and a brighter future.

Final Thoughts

While breakups can trigger a range of emotions and reactions, it’s important to remember that healing takes time and self-compassion. Engaging in extreme behaviors can often hinder the healing process and lead to further emotional distress.

Instead, prioritize self-care, seek support from loved ones or professionals, and allow yourself to grieve the loss. With time and healthy coping mechanisms, you can emerge from a breakup stronger and more resilient. Our panel of dedicated therapists is here to support you every step of the way.

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