Being dumped is never nice, but Christmas is an especially terrible time to be newly single.
All the awkward family parties and so many opportunities to get drunk and cry in front of work colleagues...
If that sounds familiar, here are 6 expert tips on how to deal with being festively chucked.
1. Keep all your plans.
When you are feeling sorry for yourself it is really tempting to hibernate and cut yourself off from all the Christmas fun and games. But actually what you need to get you through these first few weeks is distraction. And lots of it. So stick to your plans, and make more if you must.
Relate counsellor, Arabella Russell told The Huffington Post UK: “The silver lining is that you’ll probably have plans with friends and family anyway so there’s less chance you’ll be alone. Try to stick to these plans and really rely on friends and family for support. Do enjoy going out with friends and having fun.”
2. Avoid office party hook ups.
And when we say make plans, we don’t make plans to get drunk, do karaoke and take that guy from HR home with you.
If you’ve just come out of a serious relationship, no-strings-attached can be a good idea, but someone who works under the same roof as you for 40 hours a week, isn’t without some strings.
Russell said: “While the party season may provide the opportunity to bury your sorrows in somebody else, beware of starting a new relationship when you aren’t over the last one.”
3. Be glad it didn’t ruin next year too.
It might seem cruel to dump someone just before party season, and especially NYE, but wouldn’t you rather leave the pain behind in 2016 and start afresh in January?
Caroline Brealey at Mutual Attraction, agreed: “It would be far worse if come 1 January after a lovely Christmas together, or so you thought, they pull the plug on your relationship leaving you questioning where it all went wrong and feeling hurt that they just played happy families to get through the festive season. The new year is the perfect time to declutter your life, including your ex.”
4. Eat a tin of Quality Street.
The revenge body can wait till January people.
Now is not time to stop drinking and hit the gym, Christmas is all about indulgence, and quite frankly you deserve it more than anymore, Brealey said: “Nobody is going to say anything if you scoff the tub of Roses on your own!”
5. Don’t feel you need to put on a happy face.
It can feel like a terrible time to be going through an emotional rollercoaster, because everyone around you is so focused on being happy, but there are plenty of people who find the festive season tough. You aren’t alone.
Russell said: “You might feel wary about being sad at Christmas and ruining everyone’s fun but the people who care about you won’t expect you to put on a brave face.”
6. Appreciate not having to explain to your colleagues.
And if you can’t do any of the above, then at least you can be grateful that you get some time off work and won’t have to hide in the toilets when you’re having an emotional moment, Brealey says: “You probably won’t have to go to work for a bit, which means you can spend some alone time without having to force yourself into work with a smile in the morning.”