Whether it’s the practical end of a long and wilding college romance or the final cut of a four-month-old situationship—it calls for a curated healing era. Between wallowing in the depths of LIIT pitchers and uploading new pictures on dating apps, many Gen Z lovers go on a mental health kick to outgrow the heartache. They can be seen competing with neighbourhood aunties on the jungle gym, toggling between uncertified online therapists and—unsuccessfully—cutting down screen time. It’s all about balancing self-pity with self-care. Vaguely, we call it touching grass—or at least posting the greener side of it on Instagram.
Even the agnostics with a raging god complex can’t shake off rejection. Some rituals have to be followed to wash it away, mute it forever and push it down the accessible black hole—the chat archive. Apparently, apart from buckets of tears, going ‘No Contact’ with an ex also requires a serious amount of mental and physical sweat. That’s why some 20-somethings take up the 75-hard challenge, the ultimate level-up trend going strong since 2020. It involves daily exercise, zero cheat meals, a gallon of water and a minimum 10-page dose of reading self-help books. Break up recovery is almost an Olympic sport. Losing is never an option.
Those who don’t believe in physical training go for aura cleansing. Ashwagandha is big these days, it’s both anti-inflammatory and pro-libido. Influencers on Instagram swear by Selenite crystals to cancel out the ex-partner’s lingering energy. There are also spiritual baths (think boiling water, essential oils), shadow work, fasting, burning old bedding shared with the ex, lighting two candles between 3 to 5 am on a new moon night (it’s called cord cutting), and my personal favourite—writing a eulogy for the very alive old lover.
Also read: Breaking up is an art and Gen Z is the best artist. No one wants mediocre relationships anymore
A Thailand trip and an IIM seat
If you think this is intense, you haven’t seen post-break-up girlies regulate their dopamine and serotonin levels. It’s a careful chemical experiment with vegan ice cream, Taylor Swift Workout Hits, and by-weekly cardio on a rebound’s mattress. They dodge cortisol like it’s lava on the floor. A new haircut helps you stay on the wagon; bangs not so much—that’s a famous cry for help. To stop herself from thinking about her ex, my pal in Bengaluru paid for aromatherapy and used up all the peanuts she gets paid as a graphic designer. Another girl splurged on THC oil right after blocking her ex-situationship—because hey, whatever stops the sad spiral, goes.
My 26-year-old friend, who has never not been the class topper, saw the break up with her unibrowed investment associate ex as a perfect moment to level up in life. After doing 75-hard, a closet overhaul, and going cover to cover of every unread book collecting dust on her shelf, she invested in a Thailand trip, flying right behind her ex. After all, if he was off touching grass in Bangkok, how could she settle for wandering around Sanjay Van? She didn’t stop there. The drive to grow and heal was so solid that she started preparing for CAT and scored an IIM seat. For her, heartbreak wasn’t just about adding Pakistani tearjerkers to playlists, it eventually made way for an academic glow-up.
Because an MBA arc doesn’t necessarily save one from getting ghosted by hot new matches on dating apps, my friend hits 10,000 steps a day to keep the rejection remorse at bay. I’ve recently switched to brown rice to deal with my dating failures. They say the more the fibre, the easier it is to push crap out of the body and inbox. Who needs a block button if nature’s got your back?
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(Edited by Theres Sudeep)