Strategies to survive the dreaded “turkey dump”

Turkey dump: If you’re not familiar with the term, it’s what happens when a first-year college or university student returns home for Thanksgiving and breaks up with their high school sweetie.

The term may seem insensitive, but making light of the situation can be one way to cope with real sadness and loss.

14 strategies to get through

1. Use the break-up as an opportunity to learn and grow from the experience – you may be surprised how glad you are that you did!
2. Connect with your old friends and make some new ones.
3. Often in break-ups there’s a “dumper” and a “dumpee.” Keep in mind that if you’re the one “dumped,” you’re just dealing with the loss now while the “dumper” may be further along in the process of letting go of the relationship.
4. Be your own best friend; tell yourself encouraging things. This may seem silly but pat yourself on the back and say, “I love myself.”
5. Make a list of your good qualities and refer to it if the negative self-talk starts. Or get together with your best friends and ask them to tell you what they think your best qualities are.
6. Try not to idealize the past relationship. While it probably wasn’t all bad, it probably wasn’t all good either. Remember what didn’t work and what you’ll miss.
7. Take the time to find and cultivate interests that truly excite you. Maybe even step out of your comfort zone.
8. Laughter is the best medicine! So spend time with people who make you laugh.
9. Keep busy with important tasks.
10. Avoid abusing substances to numb your feelings. This won’t make things better.
11. Stay single for a while. Now’s a good time to develop your independence and get to know yourself better.
12. Don’t underestimate how painful it is to lose someone. It can be really difficult and you may not be able to eat or sleep for a while. You also may obsess about the person. You are grieving, and grieving is a process.
13. If the grief persists, don’t hesitate to reach out for professional help.
14. Be kind to yourself, e.g., treat yourself to a massage, make time for your hobbies, exercise, or buy that book or video game you’ve been wanting.

via GIPHY

Remember, free and confidential counselling is available to all Georgian students should you ever wish to talk.