Anyone who has ever endured a break up will be well accustomed to the heartbreak phase; the sinking feeling in your gut as you walk to work, the sleepless nights staring at the ceiling of a bedroom you once shared with an ex, the parties when you've had to force yourself to crack a smile or down a shot while swallowing back the on-coming tears at the thought of your former 'someone'.
Fortunately, heartbreak is temporary and, while it might seem like you'll never get over your ex, it will happen.
Someone who knows the pain of heartbreak is former Disney star Zendaya who has taken to her app to share her thoughts on how to move on from a relationship.
First of all, the 20-year-old urges readers to force themselves to get up, get dressed and go have fun.
Revealing her own experience post-break up, she says: 'I started forcing myself to have a lot more fun. I tried new things — going out and just doing more stuff. A healthy relationship does not mean you need to be with that person 24/7.'
Sounds simple enough, but, here comes the hard bit.
After a relationship ends, it's not uncommon to spend the weeks after re-reading old messages with your ex, scrolling through Facebook pictures of your holidays together and stalking the hell out of his/her social media accounts.
'He changed his profile picture! What does this mean? Wait, is this a sign he is over me? Does he have a new girlfriend? Does this mean he already has Tinder? Should I text and ask him?'
Zendaya advises you to ditch dangerous habits of looking at what was, and focus on what will be.
'I got rid of old text messages, pictures and their clothing I still had. You don't hang on to old Band-Aids. Throw that in the trash!. You have to get rid of everything associated with them. It's best to get rid of their number. Or if you can't quite let go, at least change the title of their name in your phone,' she says.
So, next time you're considering texting your ex think, 'What would Zendaya do?'
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
