All those emotions are completely normal but the main thing to remember is that you will get better and time does heal. You will stop crying, you will start to sleep again and before you know it your appetite will be back to normal, but you have to help yourself along...

The grieving period
As described above, this is the period where you are a complete wreck. Your emotional rollercoaster ride will be likely taking you through all sorts of weird and wonderful feelings. You'll cry because of the break up, then you'll cry because you burnt a piece of toast, you'll be remembering all the good things you had in the relationship with rose-tinted glasses... which will likely make you cry again. Allow yourself this depressing, mope about clutching a tissue period and then make a decision to move on.

Moving on
After allowing yourself appropriate time to mourn the end of your relationship - say a week or two - you need to seriously sit down with a strategy to get yourself back to normal happy you again. You can make this as fun as you want. Suggestions we have for great ways to bounce back after a break-up include:

· Get a group of girlfriends together for a fun day of shopping then hit the town in your new outfits.

· Book yourself in for some serious pampering... A facial, a massage and a makeover at the MAC counter are all delicious options to get you feeling incredible again.

· Go blonde! Or flame red... or brunette. A trip to the hairdresser and a totally new look is a tried and true way to feel fabulous again.

· Buy yourself some flowers or a beautiful plant for your desk and bedroom.

A key to successfully moving on from the relationship is to keep your distance from your ex. No phone calls, no texts, no emails, no coffee catch ups and absolutely no casual sex. At this point you need to get adjusted to life without that person and this takes patience and time. You will simply end up feeling confused if you have contact with your ex.

Establish a circle of support
More than ever you will need to reconnect with friends, family and loved ones - people who make you feel good about yourself. Filling your diary with social occasions and events is the perfect opportunity to get out and about and keep your mind focused on positive things rather than moping around the house. Your family and friends also know you very well and may be able to offer words of wisdom and other advice which could help you get through the pain.

Learn something new
If you feel you have too much time on your hands to dwell on the break-up, try to find something else to pre-occupy your mind for a while - a community course in something that interests you such as cooking, sewing or languages is ideal or even a book club would help. Perhaps there is something that you used to do before you met your partner and have forgotten how much you enjoyed it. This would be a great time to take up that hobby again... The idea is to keep your mind active on things that are not a part of your past.

Living well is the best revenge
Now that you are past the grieving period where you allowed yourself to inhale that tub of Chocolate Fudge Brownie Killinchy Gold it's time to focus on your wellness. Get yourself into good habits of eating and exercising and doing things that you love. There is another saying that is appropriate and that is 'healthy body, healthy mind' as depression and anxiety can attack your immune system and leave you prone to illness. Pounding the pavement or the treadmill will revitalise your energy and leave you looking and feeling fabulous (note: transforming your bod is also good revenge) and a healthy diet will re-energise your system when you need it most.

One last thing...
If it's over, it wasn't meant to be and corny but true - there are plenty more fish in the sea!

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