5 Ways To Reclaim Your Space After a Breakup

Once you’ve picked yourself up, it’s time to make space for new memories.

When you’re in the midst of a breakup, it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. While everybody keeps assuring you that time heals all wounds and you’ll be fine, all you want to do is wrap yourself up in your duvet like a big sad burrito and watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind on repeat.

It’s totally acceptable to want to wallow in despair when your heart gets broken, and there’s no greater consoler than the warm and comforting arms of your loyal bed. Nothing would please you more than spending the entire weekend with your face nuzzled in the pillows, but there’s just one problem: your entire home reminds you of your ex.

Their scent is everywhere – the pillows, the sheets, the towels, even the lamp is somehow starting to smell like your ex. It’s time to reclaim your space and make it your sanctuary once more. Here’s how.

1. Reposition the furniture

While setting the whole place alight might seem like the more appealing move right now, a less drastic and more inexpensive measure is simply to reshuffle your furniture. You’ll be surprised how much of a positive impact a slight redesign of your space can have on your overall well-being. If you haven’t already, maybe it’s time to look into applying Feng Shui in your home to invite harmony and positive energy into the space. However, if you decide to rearrange the furniture, be sure to revel in the realisation that you don’t need to ask anyone else’s opinion or permission anymore.

2. Update your bed linen

This may seem obvious, but if you shared the bed with your ex, it’s time to get new sheets. I know, you loved the ones you had. But guess what? Just like people, you will love other linen again too. If your sheets are still in good shape, be sure to donate them instead of throwing them in the bin. It might seem like an inconvenience, but stripping the bed of those memories and starting with a new fresh set will do wonders for you, both physically and mentally. And again, you don’t have to compromise on your interior style anymore, so you can choose whatever you like. This single thing is really starting to grow on you, isn’t it?

3. Dust off your forbidden art

Art is nothing if not subjective. Most couples will sympathise with the fact that trying to find, buy, and hang an artwork that you both agree on can be… tricky, to put it lightly. Oh, you have an old framed tapestry that you bought at a garage sale 12 years ago that would look great hanging above the couch? Forget about it. The only place your partner can imagine that eyesore is at the tip. But now that they’re out of the picture, you can dust that puppy off and hang it wherever your sentimental heart desires. Don’t have any old art under the bed? Kill two birds with one stone by heading to a local group art show. Not only will it help boost your collection, you’ll also be forced to de-burrito yourself and enter the outside world again!

4. Brighten up

While telling someone with a broken heart to ‘brighten up’ is akin to telling a woman to ‘smile more’, in this case, it’s actually not bad advice. Usually in a relationship, you have to compromise on your style and taste to make your home a space that represents the both of you. Sometimes, that means muting your preferred colour palette. And while softer tones can be soothing, when you’re feeling down, a little splash of colour can go a long way.

5. Burn the candles you actually like

Candles have long been associated with the art of seduction and romance, and that is problematic for a couple of reasons. One, you are going through a breakup, and two, you have 26 of them sitting in the cupboard. It’s like you’re stocking up for the apocalypse and ensuring that you have the nicest smelling bunker when it hits. But here’s another perk about your newfound relationship status: you don’t have to compromise when it comes to scents anymore. Light up the whole space with your favourite aromatherapy candles and bask in the calm energy they exude. Just don’t put them near the bed. We already talked about that.