Mel Robbins on what to do when you get a breakup text: don't reply right away. Take a walk instead. It lifts your mood, reduces the emotional intensity, and gives you distance from the hurt so you can respond thoughtfully instead of in anger.
Let's say that the person that you've been seeing suddenly sends you a text and says, "You know, I've been thinking, this isn't gonna work out." You're heartbroken, you're disappointed, maybe you're super annoyed that they did it by text. Instead of firing off an angry response or sitting there with that text message feeling like a rejected loser, 'cause what's gonna happen if you do that? You're either gonna send something that you regret or you're gonna get completely overwhelmed by your emotions and that's gonna make you feel even worse. I'll tell you the solution. Take a little walk because walking lifts your mood. It reduces the intensity of the disappointment. It also allows you to step away and get objectivity from that thing that immediately stressed you out, which was that text message. And it creates a break from the flood of negative emotions. And as you're out there walking, the rhythm of the movement and the change of the scenery can help you clear your mind. It makes it easier for you to gain perspective and calm down and start to move forward and actually choose what you're going to do as the response instead of acting out of reaction, which you're always gonna regret.
Oprah Winfrey: How to Find Your Unique Purpose, Authentic Power, and Calling in Life
