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5 Sweet Things To Say To Your Girlfriend To Let Her Know You Are All In

January 15, 2020/by Mitzi Bockmann


Have you found the girl of your dreams? Are you wondering what kind of sweet things to say to your girlfriend to let you know you are all in?

Men are often at a loss about what they can do to make their women know that they are the best thing in their life. What women want tends to be different from what men do so it ‘ s not necessarily intuitive for them to know what makes us happy.

I can tell you this – women love to communicate. They love to give and take and share. Men don ‘ t always understand the importance of this so they often keep their mouths shut, at a loss to what to say.

If you want to know some sweet things to say to your girlfriend to let her know you are all in, let me help!

Here are some ideas:

#1 – I don ‘ t know what to do.

One time, my boyfriend and I were arguing about something. I am not sure what. I stormed out of the room and he didn ‘ t follow me. I was puttering around my room, angry at whatever we were fighting about and then he walked in and said I don ‘ t know what to do.

These words instantaneously diffused my anger?

Why? Because my boyfriend didn ‘ t know what to do. He had no idea what to do. And instead of going silent, or taking a stab at trying to fix things or sticking to his side of the argument, he was honest and went out on a limb and told me.

Oh man, did I love him more for that. And I realized that he didn ‘ t ‘ know what to do and that I had to cut him some slack, both that time and going forward. We rarely argue now – we are clear about what we need and don ‘ t know what to do and we keep the peace.

#2- That must be really hard. What can I do for you right now?

Do you know the nail in the head video?

In it, a woman is talking about how much pain she has in her head and how somedays she doesn ‘ t know if she can live with it any longer. The camera pans out and we see that she has a nail in her forehead. Her well-meaning boyfriend points out that, perhaps, if she removed the nail she would feel better.

This doesn ‘ t go over well. She gets mad at him for trying to fix her when she just wants him to listen. He does and she is happy.

So, next time your girl is upset, listen. And when you are done listening, acknowledge what you heard and empathize with the emotional turmoil that she is in. And then, not trying to fix her, ask her what you can do right then to make her happy.

This is seriously one of the sweetest things that you to say to your girlfriend.

She might not know the answer but she will appreciate the empathy and that you want to support her without fixing her. That will mean the world to her and she will know that she is important to you.

#3 – When I see you, my heart skips a beat.

We women have been raised on Rom-coms, admittedly not the best example of real life love. But it is what it is and there are certain things that we hope that our relationship will have in spades.

One of the most important of those is that your heart skips a beat when you see us. That you have a physical reaction (other than the one you are thinking of right now) that reminds you of how much you love us.

So, if you want to make your woman feel well and truly loved, tell her just that – that when come back together after being apart, that your heart feels full and that you are happy.

#4 – You look hot.

I know, in this day and age we don ‘ t want to put the emphasis on looks. Smarts, emotional IQs, happiness and kindness are all important part of a woman ‘ s makeup and things that she wants to be recognized for by her man.

That being said, every woman wants to know that her man thinks that she is hot. She wants to know that he checks her out when she walks into the room, that seeing her walk around naked is the highlight of his day and that making love to her rocks his world.

So, if you refrain from telling her girl that her physical appearance rocks your world, don ‘ t! She needs to hear it from you and telling her will make her understand how much she means to you.

#5 – I am sorry I hurt you. What can I do to make it up to you?

Apologies are important in every relationship. They can make or break even a happy one but they are often done incorrectly.

What do I mean? Here is an example:

A man comes home from work late. His boss kept him there later than he thought and he missed dinner with his family. His wife is fuming. He says I am sorry BUT my boss kept me there and I figured that you would understand.

Any apology followed by a ‘ ˜but ‘ immediately negates it. The reality is the reason why his wife was fuming was because she was hurt that he wasn ‘ t home and that he didn ‘ t call to tell her. She was hurt.

One of the sweetest things to say to your girlfriend is actually something that you don ‘ t say – but!

So, what makes up a good apology? One that you can give your woman that will make her feel like you care? I am sorry I hurt you. What can I do to make it up to you?

The most important part of an apology is acknowledging that you hurt someone. Even if you feel like what you did was unavoidable, you still hurt them. Acknowledging that and owning it will diffuse the situation right away.

And, if you give your partner the opportunity to let you know how to fix it, you can move on and get around to the fixing it part, which is way more fun!

Looking for sweet things to say to your girlfriend so she knows how you feel about her is an excellent step in forging a strong relationship.

The 5 Love Languages (if you don ‘ t know it, look it up) posits that we all feel love in certain ways: quality time, physical touch, words of affirmation, gift giving and doing tasks. And I do believe this idea to be true.

That being said, women need to hear it from you. They need to have the words come out of your mouth and soak into their heart and their brain.

And don ‘ t forget, the most important one: I love you. I know that you might think that she knows that one but she still likes to hear it. Every day.

So, go forth. Use your words. Let your girlfriend know that she is the one for you!

Are you wondering what kind of sweet things to say to your girlfriend?
Let me help, NOW, so you both can both be happy!
Email me at mitzi@letyourdreamsbegin.com and let’s get started!

Mitzi Bockmann
Mitzi Bockmann

I am a NYC based Certified Life Coach and mental health advocate. My writing has been published on The Huffington Post, Prevention,  Psych Central, Pop Sugar, MSN and The Good Man Project, among others. I work with all kinds of people to help them go from depressed and overwhelmed to confident and happy in their relationships and in their world.

5 Things That Happen After Letting Go of Looking for Love

January 8, 2020/by Mitzi Bockmann


Are you considering letting go of looking for love because you have been trying and trying and trying to find it and failing?

Are you sick of dating sites and coffee shops and endless conversations with people who definitely aren ‘ t the people for you?

I get it. Looking for love can be exhausting.

I always tell my clients that it ‘ s ok, letting go of looking for love. It doesn ‘ t have to be forever but sometimes taking a break is the best thing that you can do.

Why?

#1 – You can give yourself a rest.

Looking for love is exhausting work.

You have to make a dating profile, spend endless time swiping right or left, make tons of small talk with strangers, deal with people stalking you or disappearing, and then ultimately being disappointed when something doesn ‘ t work out.

Who has the time and strength to deal with that?

Letting go of looking for love will give you your life back. It will give you a chance to spend time with friends, exercise, binge watch your favorite show, got to bed early and maybe even read a book!

Imagine what that would feel like, to not spend all of your time in the pursuit of love but to take a break and rest. Pretty amazing right?

#2 – You can focus on yourself.

It sounds like a cliché, I know. It ‘ s a phrase people use when they have just recently broken up with someone and they want to seem strong.

But focusing on yourself is actually a fundamental part of being a healthy human, especially one in the dating world.

For many of us, dating means putting ourselves on hold. It ‘ s hard to be our authentic selves when we are dating because we always feel like we have to put our best foot forward, to be someone who others would want to be with.

As a result, we sometimes lose ourselves in the process.

We stop doing yoga because we don ‘ t have the time and we lose touch with how important it is for our sanity.

We stop having girls’ nights out with our friends because we want to be free to date and therefore we don ‘ t have people to laugh with or call us on our shit, both of which are super important.

We might neglect work or family or our dog, all in the pursuit of love.

Letting go of looking for love allows us to take some time to refocus on ourselves, to get to know ourselves again. To spend time with people we love, to make a priority the things that keep us sane and to curl up in bed with our puppy, watching our favorite old movies on Netflix.

And then, once we know and love ourselves again, we might be ready to put ourselves out into the dating world, having refamiliarized ourselves with how awesome we are.

#3 – You can think more about what you want in a person.

Have you ever been caught up in the dating process and realized that you might be dating some people for the wrong reasons?

Do you find that perhaps height or pets or distance from your apartment are the criteria on which you are basing your willingness to date someone?

If I asked you right now what you wanted in a person, would any of those three things be the first three items on your list? Probably not.

Imagine if you met a person out there in the world, through a friend or at a bar. If you liked them, if you felt that chemistry, would you know or care about whether they liked dogs or cats or whether or not they lived in New Jersey? Probably not.

So, if you are considering letting go of looking for love, know that it will give you the opportunity to step back and re-assess what is really important to you in a partner.

Make a list of what you want and of how your perfect person would make you feel. That way, when you do meet them, you will actually see them, no matter where they live with their cat.

#4 – You can get used to alone time.

People HATE it when I say this but I do think that it ‘ s really important.

It is essential that, if we are going to be in a successful relationship, that we are good with being alone.

I have a friend who, when she first got divorced, found that being alone was the most uncomfortable thing for her. As a result, she frantically looked for love, desperately needing to fill up that empty space left by her ex-husband.

Eventually she was exhausted by her search and decided to try to take some time off from dating. At first, she was still uncomfortable in her home but, after a time, she got used to it. She learned that being alone allowed her to truly be herself and to do what she wanted to do. There was no one to take care of or compromise with – it was her way, always. And she liked that.

Learning how to be alone, to not be desperate for the company of another person, changed my friend ‘ s life because with this lack of neediness she became a stronger, more self-confident person who, in turn, attracted stronger, more self-confident guys. Guys she really liked. And guys who had to prove themselves to be allowed into her space.

So, take some time getting to know yourself and spending time alone. You will be glad you did.

#5 – Love will find you.

There is a saying attributed to Henry David Thoreau that reads ‘ ˜Happiness is like a butterfly, the more you chase it, the more it will evade you, but if you notice the other things around you, it will gently come and sit on your shoulder. ‘

This is true with love as well.

We often pursue love like we train for a marathon or push to get ahead in our career. But love isn ‘ t found like that. Love is found when we are rested and know ourselves, when we are happy being alone and have the self-confidence to put our best foot forward.

If we continue our dogged pursuit of love without stopping and noticing the world around us we could miss all that is beautiful, including the love of that person we didn ‘ t see because we were swiping left or hyper focusing on that stunning man down the bar.

So, know that, if you are considering letting go of looking for love, doing so might be just what you need to find your forever person.

Letting go of looking for love is a big step, a leap of faith that in doing so you won ‘ t sabotage your love life forever.

The search for love is a marathon and not a sprint.

It is important that we take our time, nourish ourselves and the world, have self confidence that love will find us and that, if it doesn ‘ t right away, we will be okay alone.

Letting go of looking for love doesn ‘ t have to be forever. It ‘ s like pressing the pause button on a song or a TV show – something that you can get back to when you are ready.

So, take a moment. Step back from your pursuit of love. Believe that if you do, you will still find your happily ever after person, just maybe not today. And that ‘ s ok. You will find them someday – I promise.

Are you wondering about letting go of looking for love?
Let me help, NOW, and so you can start finding yourself again and find love!
Email me at mitzi@letyourdreamsbegin.com and let’s get started!

Mitzi Bockmann
Mitzi Bockmann

I am a NYC based Certified Life Coach and mental health advocate. My writing has been published on The Huffington Post, Prevention,  Psych Central, Pop Sugar, MSN and The Good Man Project, among others. I work with all kinds of people to help them go from depressed and overwhelmed to confident and happy in their relationships and in their world.

How To Stop Fighting with Your Partner & Save Your Relationship

January 1, 2020/by Mitzi Bockmann


Are you wondering how to stop fighting with your partner? Has the frequency and the intensity of your fighting grown over time? Do you want to stop fighting so that you can find your way back to each other?

Conflict. We all have it.

We get angry with our mothers, our friends, our bosses and our kids. It is our partners, those we have chosen to love and cherish for a lifetime, with whom we seem to get the angriest. And this conflict, this anger, with our partners can be very destructive and get in the way of living the life of our dreams.

There are ways to get through conflict, however, and it is way easier than one would think.

#1 – Carefully choose the time to talk.

This is key.

If you talk to your partner when you are angry you will say things that you might not mean to say. Words said in the heat of the moment tend to cause a lot of pain and not necessarily be accurate.

Try to wait at least 2 hours after a disturbance before speaking up. This will give you the chance to calm down and speak more clearly. If you can talk calmly about exactly what you are upset about then you will be more likely to be able to work it out and not let the quarrel escalate.

Also, don ‘ t pick a known stressful time to talk, like during bedtime or just after work. Try to pick a time when you are both calm and can approach the conversation with good energy instead of bad. I know calm time can be hard to find but when properly motivated you can find it.

#2 – Do not attack.

This is very important and something that many of us do without thinking. And it gets us nowhere.

Let ‘ s say that your partner is always getting home from work late. Instead of saying ‘ You are always late. Why do you have to be such a jerk? ‘ try saying ‘ It makes me sad when you are always home late from work. I work hard to get us all together for a family dinner and I really miss it when you aren ‘ t there. ‘

Look carefully at the difference here. If you use the first example your partner will immediately get on the defensive and the conversation will be over before it begins.

In the second example you are sharing how you FEEL and no one can argue with how you FEEL. And how you feel is the truth.

What is not the truth is that your partner is a jerk for coming home late.

#3 – Make sure they know you are listening.

This is very hard to do and can feel very contrived but it is a key part of listening and being heard.

It ‘ s called a reflective response.

In the case of the example above, with the partner who didn ‘ t come home in time for dinner, the perfect response for them to say would be: ‘ I am sorry that my being late for dinner made you so sad. ‘ With that statement you know that your partner has understood what you are trying to say and that might deflate the argument.

The worst thing that you can do is to yell back at them or storm out, not letting them speak and get their feelings out. Because if you do that, the issue will come up again. Over and over and over.

#4 – Try to remember that we are all only human.

We all make mistakes. More often than not our troublesome actions are not a reflection of our feelings about someone but are the result of a variety of things (time, motivation, energy level, distractions) that all work together and create a situation that isn ‘ t ideal.

A client of mine’s husband came home on Saturday without picking out the windows that he promised her he would pick out. She was furious and said something like ‘if you loved me you would have picked out the windows.’

The reality was that his mother had called when he was on his way and he had to run over to help her with something. Yes, it’s not ideal but it is the reason why he couldn’t do what she had asked, not because he didn’t love he.

Next time you are quick to react to something your husband does, take a moment a try to figure out why it happened. Perhaps you won ‘ t need the two hours to decompress after all.

#5 – Be ready to say sorry and to forgive.

This can be the hardest thing of all for people ‘ ¦ to say they are sorry and to forgive perceived wrongs… but it is one of the most important parts of any relationship.

Why don ‘ t we want to say we are sorry? Because it will convey weakness? Because we can ‘ t let go of our anger? Because we are embarrassed by our actions?

Whatever the reason, we need to learn how to do it. Next time you are having a disagreement with your partner, try apologizing. See how quickly the anger deflates, on both sides.

With the husband who came home late, he should start with ‘I am sorry that my lateness made you sad. ‘ That is apologizing not for the lateness but because of the pain his wife suffered from it.

What shouldn’t be said is “I am sorry that my lateness made you sad BUT I couldn’t help it.” In an apology, a BUT makes the apology completely ineffective. The BUT means you are making an excuse. The reality is is that you caused pain, not matter the reason, and that needs to be acknowledged.

In the same vein, we need to forgive and not hold onto anger. Holding on to anger is one of the most destructive forces in any relationship. If your partner apologizes for his or her actions you need to find it in your heart to remember that they are only human and that they have taken responsibility for their actions and that life must move forward.

Learning how to stop fighting with your partner is a key part of keeping your relationship healthy.

Conflict, and the resulting anger, with anyone can be devastating and especially so with a partner. Left unchecked anger can take on a life of it’s own and destroy everything in its path.

Don ‘ t let that happen to you. Try to carefully choose your time to talk. Don’t attack. Let them know you are listening and don’t hold on to the anger.

And then, perhaps, you can settle down to a nice peaceful, conflict free evening.

Sounds worth it, no?

Are you wondering how to stop fighting with your partner?
Let me help, NOW, and learn how to do so that you can be happy!
Email me at mitzi@letyourdreamsbegin.com and let’s get started!

Mitzi Bockmann
Mitzi Bockmann

I am a NYC based Certified Life Coach and mental health advocate. My writing has been published on The Huffington Post, Prevention,  Psych Central, Pop Sugar, MSN and The Good Man Project, among others. I work with all kinds of people to help them go from depressed and overwhelmed to confident and happy in their relationships and in their world.

5 Toxic Thoughts that Sabotage Getting Over Someone

December 11, 2019/by Mitzi Bockmann


Are you working hard at getting over someone but are you finding that it is very difficult and that the pain just won ‘ t go away? I get it!

There is nothing worse than a broken heart and getting over someone isn ‘ t easy.

Surprisingly, one of the biggest obstacles to getting over someone is our toxic thoughts. The negative tapes that go around and around in our head. These thoughts can stop our broken heart recovery in it ‘ s tracks.

So, what kind of toxic thoughts can sabotage getting over someone?

#1 – I am a total loser.

For many of us, when we are left, we can ‘ t help but take it personally, to believe that our person would never have left us if we weren ‘ t such a loser. If we had been better looking or smarter or funnier or anyway other than we were then our person would still love us and we wouldn ‘ t be feeling this way.

Break ups happen for many reasons but usually it ‘ s not because one person is a loser.

People are complicated and, at the beginning, that complication doesn ‘ t matter. What matters is the chemistry, the connection, the attraction. But, once the relationship settles down, they can become complicated.

I have a client who loves his girlfriend deeply but who doesn ‘ t want to break up with her in spite of the fact that they don ‘ t get along at all. They have disagreements about just about everything and some of them are fundamental to their personal beliefs. And yet, when I suggest breaking up, my client shuts me down because he loves her.

Neither one of these people are ‘ ˜losers. ‘ Both of them are people in the world who are trying to meld their lives together but who can ‘ t do so because of basic personality differences.

So, if you are sitting around telling yourself that you are a loser because your person left you, try to realize that you aren ‘ t a loser, that the reasons for the breakup are complicated and as much about your person as about you.

If you don ‘ t believe me, go ask your friends!

#2 – I will never love or be loved again.

One of biggest reasons that I see people stay with people they shouldn ‘ t stay with is because they are worried if they walk away from this person they will never find someone else to love. That no one will ever love them back.

I am here to tell you that, if you are thinking these thoughts, they are patently untrue. I have never, in all my years of coaching, met someone who hasn ‘ t met someone else after a break up. (Although I do have one client who has chosen to be single and is happy!)

There is a big wide world out there and there is lots of love to be had. You will never find that love, however, if all of your energy is given to this person who is making you unhappy. Once you put your energy out into the world, you will invite love in and it will find you.

Over the years after my divorce, I used to wonder what the love of my life was doing at that moment. Was he with his kids, skiing, working? I had no idea who he was but I knew that he was out there, living, waiting to find me.

#3 – If we could just go back to the way we were in the beginning.

I hear this from so many of my clients – if we could just go back to the way things were in the beginning we would live happily ever after. I am afraid to say, it ‘ s impossible to go back to the beginning.

As I said above, the beginning of a relationship is a magical time. There is deep personal and chemical attraction, the nights spent talking and the days spent having adventures. The hope that the two of you have a wonderful future together is irresistible.

Unfortunately, the beginning just isn ‘ t sustainable. It a time when we are being our best selves and our chemicals rule. Once the beginning turns into the middle, things change.

People’s real selves begin to emerge. Fissures become evident. Incompatibilities rear their ugly head. Relationships then get complicated and they can fall apart.

So, don ‘ t waste even a moment of time thinking that if you can just get back to the beginning you will live happily ever after. The beginning is over and what is happening now is how it will be going forward.

#4 – Someone else will get the best part of them.

I have a client who was with her beau for 8 years. Their first years were magical but then he began to struggle with his business. He became moody and depressed and spent more and more time away from home. She didn ‘ t want to but she knew that the time had come to leave him, that he would never change.

She has left him and is happily living her own life. Recently she saw her ex on Instagram with his new girlfriend. She was immediately stricken by how happy he looked. She assured me that this new girl had fixed him and that they would live happily ever after.

I can assure you that, unless they do serious work on themselves after a breakup, people don ‘ t just magically get better with their next person. Rather, they at first bring forth that wonderful person, the one you fell in love with, but then, after time, just like with what happened with you, the real person emerges and the cycle begins again.

So, don ‘ t convince yourself that if your ex looks happy on social media that he is all fixed. I can promise you that it’s just not true.

#5 – If I can change I can get them back.

I have so many clients who believe that if they change they can get their person to come back to them. And, while sometimes that works, more often than not it doesn ‘ t.

There are two people in every relationship and if one is willing to do the work and make change and the other isn ‘ t, it isn ‘ t likely that there is a reconciliation in the future. There might be a short term coming back together but the reunion won ‘ t stick because your issues will still be there.

The better course of action is to do the work on yourself, get to know yourself again and look for a person with whom your baggage ‘ ˜matches. ‘ Don ‘ t try to twist yourself into a pretzel to be the person your ex wants you to be.

Getting over someone can be one of the hardest things that you will ever do in your life.

And I know that right now it seems completely impossible but I can promise you that it ‘ s not. I can promise you that, with time and awareness, life will go on and you will be happy and in love again,

In the meantime, manage those toxic thoughts and don’t let them impede you getting over someone.

Don ‘ t believe you are a loser or that you will never love again. Don ‘ t look back and try to hold onto who they were. Don ‘ t fantasize about who they are now because you just have no idea and don ‘ t change for them – do it for you.

I know that is seems impossible but love is out there waiting for it. Get yourself off the couch and go find it! I did!

Are you really wondering if getting over someone is even possible?
Let me help, NOW, and learn how to do it so you can move forward!
Email me at mitzi@letyourdreamsbegin.com and let’s get started!

Mitzi Bockmann
Mitzi Bockmann

I am a NYC based Certified Life Coach and mental health advocate. My writing has been published on The Huffington Post, Prevention,  Psych Central, Pop Sugar, MSN and The Good Man Project, among others. I work with all kinds of people to help them go from depressed and overwhelmed to confident and happy in their relationships and in their world.

How To Speak Up For Yourself and Get What You Want

December 8, 2019/by Mitzi Bockmann


Are you wondering how to speak up for yourself and get what you want? I get it. Asking for what you want is incredibly difficult, especially for women.

Tonight I have to have a difficult conversation with my boyfriend. I am dreading it. I am sitting here thinking about what to say and what he is going to say and how he could hate me, maybe even break up with me, by the end of it.

As a result, I am really questioning whether I should even bring it up at all or I should let my issue go, no matter how unhappy I am.

The life coach in me knows that while my hesitations and fears are real, there are many approaches that I can take that will allow us to have a successful conversation, one where I can stand up for myself and be more assertive so that I can be happy

What can I do to ensure that the conversation is productive and allows us both to walk away happy?

#1 – I won ‘ t assume anything.

As I sit here thinking about what tonight is going to look like, I am visualizing all sorts of reactions from my boyfriend around what I am going to say. Some are calm, some are angry, some involve tears.

The worse scenarios are what I am most focused on, the things that I fear the most. That he will hate me or break up with me and be upset with me.

And they are all that I can think about. Almost more even than the content of the talk. I just don ‘ t know what will happen and it worries me.

But I know that I have to let go of those projected outcomes. I have NO IDEA how he is going to react and to spend even one minute perseverating about what they might be is a complete waste of time.

So, I let have to let them go and accept that whatever happens will happen and that I can’t control the outcome by thinking about it ahead of time.

#2 – I will choose the right time and place.

When my kids were little and I had to discuss something difficult with them I always chose to do it in one of two places: in the car or on a walk.

I have found it very effective to have difficult conversations with someone when side by side instead of face to face. I think that perhaps it makes each participant a little less vulnerable and gives them a moment more to react to a statement. The eyes can say so much, sometimes quickly, which can cause the conversation to devolve in some way.

I also always chose a time that was not stressful. Tonight my boyfriend is coming over for dog therapy, pizza and football. His top 3 things in this world. He will be happy and then we will begin. Softly.

By choosing a good time and place to talk, I am setting myself up to be more confident in what I want because I know that I will be more comfortable in the situation and more able to speak my truth.

#3 – I will not attack.

My goal in this conversation is to have an effective, difficult talk. One that lands on it’s mark, allows me to be assertive and has a satisfactory end result. To do this, it ‘ s important not to attack.

My boyfriend is struggling with a few issues in our relationship. I will tell him that I have a feeling that he is struggling and that I would like to support him in any way.

What I will not say is ‘ Why are you doing these stupid things over and over? ‘

I can guarantee that the only thing that will do is shut him down. And make him leave.

By talking about how you feel, vs how he is behaving, you can not only be clearer in your discussion, because really the only accurate perspective that you have is yours, and also you will prevent a quarrel because he can ‘ t push back against your feelings in a way that he could push back against your accusations.

So talk about how you feel, not about the things he does. It will be way more effective. I promise!

#4 – I will listen.

This is so important. You need to be very careful to listen to what you are hearing back from the person with whom you are talking. Not only could you get some valuable information but, by letting them know that you are paying attention, you will be more likely to get the outcome that you seek, namely sticking up for yourself successfully.

Try reflective listening. Many people find it difficult but it really works. After they speak say ‘ I hear you saying that ‘ ¦.and I get it. ‘ Words that will allow them to feel heard, validated and empathized with. Often, all people want to be is heard and not feeling so makes them angry and makes them shut down or storm off.

And if your person gets angry and storms off you are way more likely to capitulate and not speak up for yourself, to be less assertive and end up unhappy. Again.

#5 – I will feel confident.

I know this conversation tonight with my boyfriend seems like it might be the end of the world but really, no matter what, it ‘ s all going to be okay.

I always tell my clients to consider ‘ what is the worst that can happen? ‘

For me, I know that the worse that could happen would be the death of my child. That I don ‘ t think I could survive. But you know what? I probably could. Regardless, that won’t happen tonight, because of this conversation.

So, yes, a conversation might bring about pain and discomfort and maybe even produce some short, or long, term effects but really, everyone is going to be okay.

You will be especially ok if you speak up for what you want and need. Imagine how that would feel, knowing that you have been heard, as opposed to how it would feel, walking away, feeling like you let yourself down again.

It is an excellent skill to have – to speak up for yourself and get what you want.

Asking for what you want can be difficult but doing so is necessary.

Now that I am done worrying about possible outcomes I have my list of things I want to address and am going to do so carefully and with love.

And while there might be some tears and discomfort, I know that, really, everything is going to be okay. If I can speak up for myself, be more assertive, that, ultimately, I will be happier. We will still love each other and that life will go on.

I can do this. And you can too!

Are you really wondering how to speak up for yourself and get what you want?
Let me help, NOW, and learn how to do it so you can move forward!
Email me at mitzi@letyourdreamsbegin.com and let’s get started!

Mitzi Bockmann
Mitzi Bockmann

I am a NYC based Certified Life Coach and mental health advocate. My writing has been published on The Huffington Post, Prevention,  Psych Central, Pop Sugar, MSN and The Good Man Project, among others. I work with all kinds of people to help them go from depressed and overwhelmed to confident and happy in their relationships and in their world.

5 Consequences Of Having No Boundaries In Marriage

December 4, 2019/by Mitzi Bockmann


Have you just walked down the aisle and are you wondering what are the consequences of having no boundaries in marriage?

For that matter, do you have no idea what marriage boundaries are or where to start?

I have helped many couples establish and stick to boundaries in their marriage and I know, first hand, the disastrous consequences of having no boundaries in marriage.

To understand healthymarriage boundaries look at the four walls of your house. Those walls are the structure that holds your life together. They hold your food and your bed and your possessions and it ‘ s where you live your life.

Healthy marriage boundaries are the same as those four walls of your house. They are the things that support your marriage as it matures. To have a healthy relationship, one that can grow and be fruitful, it is important that it has structures, boundaries, that support it.

Healthy marriage boundaries come in many shapes, sizes and colors.

A few examples:

*Make sure you stay yourself

*Allow yourselves time apart

*Communication is important

*Mutual respect at all times

*Keep the power dynamic equal

*Making time for both sides of the family

*Respecting others friends and hobbies

Of course, it ‘ s important for each couple to decide what works for them but it is important that every couple establish some boundaries early and stick to them. For the sake of their marriage.

So, what are the consequences of having no boundaries in marriage?

#1 – There are no established rules.

At it ‘ s most fundamental, lack of boundaries in marriage means that there are no established rules or guidelines in the relationship. The four walls of the house that is marriage have not been built and as a result the foundation of the relationship is already shaky.

It is very important that each couple have a set of rules of work from – things that they both are clear about and committed to keeping. Without those rules, couples are forced to stab around in the dark, trying to make their other person happy but not really knowing how.

For example, when I was married, the number one boundary that my ex and I should have set was to set parameters around the visiting times with both of our families. We should have talked about where we would spend the holidays, what they would look like, how birthdays were to be celebrated and our obligation for daily tasks. We didn ‘ t do that and, as a result, our new family got torn apart by the demands of our extended one.

So, if you and your partner don ‘ t know what rules to follow you will be lost from the very beginning because you have no path to follow.

#2 – You could lose yourselves and each other.

One of the biggest consequences of having no boundaries in marriage is that it is possible for each member of the couple to lose their individuality.

For many couples they believe that all free time should be spent together, doing together things, even things that one member of the couple might not like to do. And time together is, of course, important. But time apart, spending time with friends and family, doing the things that we love individually, allows us to maintain our individuality in the relationship.

It is that individuality that initially attracted you to each other and if you lose that individuality because of your relationship, that attraction will be affected. And if you no longer are a person in the world, but only part of a twosome, then you will lose your connection with yourself which could make you unhappy and a not very desirable partner.

And as a result, not only could you lose yourself but you could also lose each other.

#3 – Contempt grows.

Another one of the big consequences of having no boundaries in marriage is that, because of misunderstandings and a thousand little cuts, anger and contempt build and grow without you even knowing it.

Contempt is defined as the feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving scorn. I believe that the presence of contempt is the beginning of the end for any relationship.

When you are in a relationship and you are trying to keep it healthy, treating your partner like they don ‘ t matter is a sure way to sabotage it. Think about when your partner rolls his eyes at what you say or mocks the words that come out of your mouth or insults your ideas and intelligence. How horrible does that feel? Does it make you want to work to make things better? Not so much.

Contempt comes from the lack of defined rules in a marriage, from the lack of boundaries. It is essential that boundaries are created early on so that contempt doesn ‘ t have a chance to rear it ‘ s ugly head.

#4 – Communication becomes impossible.

Another one of the consequences of having no boundaries in marriage is that, over time, communication can become impossible.

Communication is a skill that is developed over the course of a marriage. And marriage is long. If you don ‘ t establish, from the beginning, the importance of communicating and staying in touch then you will risk, over time, losing the ability to communicate anything with your partner, good or bad.

Think about the unhappily married people who you know. How good are they at talking to each other? Do they snip and argue and roll their eyes and talk about each other behind their backs? Do you see them talking to each other with respect and honesty? Probably not.

So, it is important that boundaries are defined around the importance of communication in a marriage because communication is the bedrock of marriages. And without it, the consequences can be disastrous.

#5 – Your eyes could wander.

Unfortunately, when one ‘ s marriage is suffering because of a lack of defined boundaries, when people are stabbing around in the dark to make each other happy, when they have lost themselves and are angry and mean to each other, it is not uncommon for people to turn to others for support.

When I was married, many of my friends were miserable and many of them found themselves turning to their friends for support. And many of themselves found themselves turning to men they knew for support. Not all of them went down that slippery slope to an emotional affair but many of them did.

They were no longer communicating with their partner, their daily lives were full of anger and contempt and they felt lost in their marriage. With their new confidant they didn ‘ t feel that way. They felt happy and appreciated and loved. And they fell in love with someone who wasn ‘ t their partner.

The most disastrous consequence of not setting boundaries in marriage is that it can lead to one or both of you turning to others for the things that you want in your marriage. And when this happens, the shit really hits the fan.

I am not saying that, if you don ‘ t establish boundaries, your marriage will be rocked by infidelity but I am saying that couples can be torn apart by the things that boundaries are set to protect.

There are many dire consequences of not having boundaries in marriage. Some of them small and some of them bigger.

It is important that young couples take a good hard look at what is important to them early on so that they can create mutual understanding and define a game plan for what is important to them, both individually and as a couple.

Marriage is long and difficult but it can be wonderful if you do the hard work ahead of time to make it so.

Are you really wondering about boundaries in marriage?
Let me help, NOW, and get you off to a good start!
Email me at mitzi@letyourdreamsbegin.com and let’s get started!

Mitzi Bockmann
Mitzi Bockmann

I am a NYC based Certified Life Coach and mental health advocate. My writing has been published on The Huffington Post, Prevention,  Psych Central, Pop Sugar, MSN and The Good Man Project, among others. I work with all kinds of people to help them go from depressed and overwhelmed to confident and happy in their relationships and in their world.

5 Tips For Surviving Infidelity As The Cheater

December 1, 2019/by Mitzi Bockmann


Have you recently had an affair, or perhaps are you in the middle of one? If you are I know you ‘ re struggling, looking for ideas for surviving infidelity as the cheater.

I have had many clients who have had affairs and, while from the outside they might seem sexy and exciting, from the inside they ‘ re scary, overwhelming and fraught with guilt. That ‘ s not to say the sex isn ‘ t good but the guilt that comes with having an affair can sometimes be more than you can bear.

Fortunately, I have many clients who have been able to let go of the guilt they struggle with, people who see that surviving infidelity as the cheater is possible. Let me help you do the same.

#1 – Know that you are only human.

One thing that we all forget about is that we are only human.

We are raised to think that we are special, that we are different, that we can handle things that other people can ‘ t. And while to some extent this might be true, because everybody IS different, the truth of the matter is that we are all only human and we make mistakes.

People who have affairs are People who are often not happy with their lives. More likely than not, people who have affairs are struggling both in their personal lives and in their relationships. They don ‘ t feel good about themselves and/or they are struggling to find happiness with their partner.

It ‘ s a horrible, horrible place to be and, if you are in that place, what I suggest is that you cut yourself some slack. You are only human. You are going to make mistakes.

You are a person in the world, one trying to manage the insecurity and unhappiness in your life in a way that allows you to survive. Some people drink too much, some people eat too much, some people drive their cars too fast and some people have affairs.

You are not alone in the world. Plenty of other people are having affairs right now and feeling the same sort of guilt you are. So, let yourself off the hook, know that you are a good person but that you have made a bad choice.

We all make bad choices sometimes and none of us should be forever condemned for it.

#2 – Know that it ‘ s not all your fault.

I know you think that this affair is all your fault. You are the one who met someone else, developed a connection with that person and perhaps embarked down the road to a sexual relationship. Yes, you did that.

But you didn ‘ t do it in a void. As I stated above, people who are having affairs are often people who are deeply unhappy in their relationship. And they aren ‘ t the only person in that relationship.

Relationships are comprised of two people and two people are responsible when relationships start to suffer. Perhaps your husband works all the time and you are lonely. Or perhaps your wife has become detached and refuses to talk to you. You feel like you ‘ ve tried to fix things but you haven ‘ t had much success.

Most people don ‘ t intend to have affairs. They just happen. And they happen when people are vulnerable. All of my clients who have had affairs are people who were in a relationship that wasn ‘ t working and it wasn ‘ t working because the TWO people in the relationship were not willing, or able, to repair it. And then infidelity can happen.

Yesterday, I was talking to a client of mine who carries a tremendous amount of guilt about an affair he had and I asked him to think about why he had an affair. What was going on in his relationship that gave him the space to have an affair? He responded by saying ‘ ˜Nothing. My wife is perfect and the affair was all my fault. ‘ I pushed back and we dug a little deeper and we realized that she repeatedly did things that made him feel insecure about himself and that led him to move towards someone who thought he was amazing.

So, please try to understand that your affair is not all your fault. Understanding that will help you manage the guilt that you are struggling with.

#3 – Get some support.

For many people who have had affairs, the prospect of reaching out to get some professional help is unthinkable.

People who have had affairs are racked with guilt and self-loathing and to admit what they have done just seems more then they can bear.

I can promise you that therapists, psychologists and life coaches have seen it all and will absolutely not judge you if you disclose that you ‘ re having an affair. I can promise you that they will look at you with understanding and be able to help you do the work that needs be done to help you manage your guilt.

Another source of excellent help are others who have also survived infidelity. Only people who have experienced infidelity can really understand what it ‘ s all about. Having someone who has been through it can help you understand and manage your emotions in a way that will help you let it go.

Find a support group for people who have survived infidelity. The sharing could change your life.

Please, reach out today. Don ‘ t go through this alone.

#4 – Shut things down.

The key piece of surviving the guilt of infidelity is to stop being unfaithful.

You can use all the techniques that I have described above and they will help you manage your guilt but they won ‘ t help you let it go completely.

The only way to stop truly feeling guilty about having an affair is to stop having one.

I know, I know. That ‘ s way easier said than done. But it is possible and doing so is the best thing that you can do to stop that guilt cold in it tracks.

#5 – Rebuild your relationship.

Rebuilding your relationship after having affair might seem like an impossible thing to do, and it just might be, but if you can do it successfully you have the best chance of surviving the guilt of infidelity.

Think about when you are doing a project and you make a big mistake and everything goes wrong but in the end the project is successful. It ‘ s the same thing with a marriage that has been rocked by infidelity. The rocking doesn ‘ t have to cause the ship to sink. If you can manage the rock and keep the relationship afloat and moving forward then all ‘ s well that ends well.

Imagine how good it would feel to be back in your relationship, safe, solid and happy.

Right now, surviving infidelity as the cheater might seem impossible but it doesn ‘ t have to be.

I know for days, weeks, months or perhaps longer you have been racked with the guilt of what you are doing but it doesn ‘ t have to be that way.

Recognize that you are only human, know that it ‘ s not all your fault, get yourself some help, end your affair and work to rebuild your relationship.

If you can do these things then you will survive the guilt of your transgression and might even end up in a better relationship as a result. How great would that be?

Get started now. You can do it!

Are you really struggling with surviving infidelity as the cheater?
Let me help, NOW, before it’s too late!
Email me at mitzi@letyourdreamsbegin.com and let’s get started!

Mitzi Bockmann
Mitzi Bockmann

I am a NYC based Certified Life Coach and mental health advocate. My writing has been published on The Huffington Post, Prevention,  Psych Central, Pop Sugar, MSN and The Good Man Project, among others. I work with all kinds of people to help them go from depressed and overwhelmed to confident and happy in their relationships and in their world.

7 Traits Of Toxic People That You Shouldn’t Ignore

November 21, 2019/by Mitzi Bockmann


If you are in a toxic relationship and are looking for personality traits of toxic people to help you manage it, let me help!

We all have them in our life – toxic people.

Whether it ‘ s a boss or a co-worker, a family member or a lover, we all have people in our life who we know only bring us down. And, unfortunately, for many of us, these toxic people bring us down every day.

The best way to avoid, or get rid of, the toxic people in our lives is to know what kind of personality traits they exhibit and to learn how to deal with them.

Fortunately, toxic people are fairly easy to identify, if you know what to look for. Of course, if your person has one or more of these personality traits that doesn ‘ t automatically mean they are toxic but, if you are reading this article I am guessing you are thinking they might be.

#1 – Self centeredness

Many toxic people are totally about themselves.

Everything that happens in the world, the good and the bad, is a reflection on them. They truly believe that they are the center of the universe and that everyone and everything should put their needs second to them.

Because of their self-centeredness, toxic people are simply incapable of reading the feelings of others, of having any concern that they might be causing pain. They have no interest in looking out for the needs of another person and would never put their needs above their own.

I have a client whose partner is as self-centered as they come. He pushes his girl away when he needs ‘ ˜time ‘ and then draws her back in when he wants her. He has done this over and over and she blames herself – if only she was good enough he would stay. But it ‘ s not about her. It ‘ s about him.

My client and I have been working on identifying the self-centeredness of her partner and, with that awareness, that he is incapable of putting someone other than himself first, she is seeing that their relationship problem is on him and not her. And that is giving her the strength to walk away, as all people should do in toxic relationships.

#2 – Insecurity

Many toxic people are paralyzingly insecure. And it is this insecurity that brings about toxicity.

With my same client, her guy had a horrible childhood with his father disappearing and his mother struggling with difficult relationships. He started drinking young, has a hard time staying employed and is chronically unfaithful. I think he knows that he has failed on many levels and it consumes him.

How does this make him toxic? Because of his insecurity, he is quick to blame others for his failings. He lashes out at people who let him down. He finds it hard to believe that anyone could ever love him so he will not commit to loving someone else.

So how do you deal with an insecure person? Again, awareness is an important part of it. And you can ‘ t make someone who is insecure secure by telling them they are wonderful. What you can do is make your person feel safe and help them gain security by helping them find successes. If you can do that, you could help you person manage their insecurity and, therefore, their toxicity.

#3 – Possessiveness

People who are toxic are often very possessive.

People who are possessive don ‘ t like to share their friends or their lovers with other people. They hold on tight to someone who might try to live their own life, sometimes causing those people to become alienated from others.

My client ‘ s partner would push back every time she wanted to go out and spend time with friends. He would make up excuses as to why she had to be with him or he would pretend that he was sick to make her stay home. If those things didn ‘ t work, he would fly into a rage and insist that she stay and not go. More often than not, she complied.

If your person is possessive, a good thing to do at the first sign of it is to talk it through. Your person needs to understand, from the beginning, that you will have your own life and that you will always want to do things on your own.

If you person doesn ‘ t like that, leave them. Immediately!

#4 – Controlling

Toxic people are very often controlling. They insist on managing how their partner acts, what they wear, what they eat, who they hang out with etc.

People’s need to control and their possessiveness are often the result of their insecurities. They believe that if their person is out of their sight they will lose them. As a result, they do whatever they can to control the actions of their partner.

My client ‘ s partner insisted that she always texted him every morning when she woke up, during her coffee break, at lunch, on her way home from work and at bedtime. If she didn ‘ t do so, he would blow up her phone, wondering why she hadn ‘ t reached out.

My client timidly did exactly what her partner wanted her to do. She figured that he did it because he loved her – not because he was trying to control her. Once I pointed out what he was doing she recognized the effect it was having on her and stopped doing what he wanted just to keep the peace.

#5 – Easily angered

People who are toxic are usually very angry. It doesn ‘ t take much to trigger them into a rage. Because they are working so hard to control their world, even the smallest thing can ‘ t set them off.

My client ‘ s partner would often rage at her about the smallest thing. The not texting was just one of many examples. And she lived in constant fear of his anger – it was scary and upsetting. Walking around on eggshells was exhausting.

Anger is one of those personality traits that you can ‘ t do anything about. You can encourage your partner to get help, which they may or may not do. You can also leave them. That might seem scary but getting away from a person with anger issues might be the smartest thing you ever do.

#6 – Meanness

One very significant personality traits of a toxic person is that they are mean. Not just unpleasant but mean.

I had a boss once who was constantly insulting the people who worked for him. He would cut them down at staff meetings, undermine them with the clients, belittle them for shoddy work habits and continually mock the way they dressed. As you can imagine, the work environment was toxic.

So how to you deal with a mean person? Once again, you can quit your job or leave your lover. You can also choose how to manage your reactions to that person. You know that their default reaction is meanness. If you know that, perhaps you can moderate your reaction to them – you can recognize that what they say is more about them then it is about you.

Doing so might mitigate the damage done by their toxic words and action.

#7 – Passive aggressiveness

I believe the most common personality trait of toxic people is passive aggressiveness.

Passive aggressiveness is defined as behavior characterized by the expression of negative feelings, resentment, and aggression in an unassertive passive way (as through procrastination and stubbornness) ‘

Passive aggressive people don ‘ t come out and say what they mean or what they want. They hint and suggest and they undermine and pry. Whatever they need to do to get you to act in a certain way or do something with directly asking or taking responsibility.

The reason that I believe that passive aggressive people are the most compelling personality trait of toxic people is because passive aggressive people manipulate others to get what they want and that in and of itself is toxic.

So how do you deal with a passive aggressive person? I encourage my clients to talk to their person about their passive aggressive tendencies and to not allow themselves to be manipulated. If they can do that, they might raise awareness in their partner of their manipulative ways and they can work together to change them.

The personality traits of toxic people are ones that are key to notice if you want to be happy in this world.

Toxic people bring us down every day. Not matter how hard we work to make our lives a better place, we have no control over what toxic people bring into our lives.

Having some awareness that toxic people are self-centered, insecure, possessive, controlling, angry, mean and passive aggressive will help you identify those who you want to stay away from and give you some information to manage those who are already in your life.

Life is too short to let your happiness be hampered by toxic people.

Mitzi Bockmann
Mitzi Bockmann

I am a NYC based Certified Life Coach and mental health advocate. My writing has been published on The Huffington Post, Prevention,  Psych Central, Pop Sugar, MSN and The Good Man Project, among others. I work with all kinds of people to help them go from depressed and overwhelmed to confident and happy in their relationships and in their world.

5 Important Things to Know About Someone Before You Start Dating Them

November 13, 2019/by Mitzi Bockmann


Did you know that there are important things to know about someone before you start dating them that will set you up for relationship success?

I know that it seems very practical and unromantic but knowing some key things is the way to finding lasting happiness.

We all go into our first dates hoping for the best. Hoping that this will be the ONE who will end our lonely days forever.

And with that hope comes an eagerness to get to know someone but it also comes with a reluctance to ask questions.

Why? Because we often don ‘ t want to know the answers.

It ‘ s important to know a few basic facts about someone before you commit to spending more time developing a relationship. Without knowing the facts, you could miss some serious red flags and waste a HUGE amount of time in your search for the ONE.

And we don ‘ t want that.

#1 – Are they married?

Seriously? You need to ask that question and get a straight answer? The answer is a resounding YES!

You would be amazed at how many married people out there want to date other people. Some of them are in open marriages and some of them just want to fool around. Either way you want to know the answer.

If the answer is yes, you need to decide if you want to be involved with a married person. Being involved with a married person brings with it a multitude of issues, most notably making it very difficult for you to find the ONE, no matter what he tells you.

And that is the goal right? Finding the ONE?

#2 – How long have they been single?

Once you know they are single, it ‘ s important to know how long they have been single.

As a general rule of thumb, we experts recommend that you not date someone who has been divorced within the last two years. Divorce wreaks havoc that regular break ups do not and the recovery period is longer. A newly divorced person just won ‘ t be ready for you, in spite of what they might think.

If your potential partner has just gone through a non-marriage break up that could also be a red flag. Someone who is newly out of a relationship could be, consciously or unconsciously, looking for a rebound relationship. You do NOT want to be the rebound person.

Ideally, your prospective mate would be someone who has been single for a period of time, not just because they have had time to recover from a break up but because it ‘ s more likely that they are no longer attached to the person they broke up with.

Nobody wants to date someone who is still holding a torch for someone else, do they?

#3 – Are they employed?

One of the first questions we ask when we meet anyone is ‘ What do you do? ‘ It ‘ s what Americans do. And it can be a tough question to answer, especially in this day and age when people do a variety of things at once.

A more important question is ‘ Are you currently working? ‘

The reasons you want to know the answer to this question? Because you want to know if they are financially and emotionally secure.

Financial security is obvious. No one wants to get involved with someone who can ‘ t carry his or her weight financially. The emotional security is a tougher one.

People who are unemployed are often in a delicate position emotionally. They could be actively seeking work and unable to find any. They could be thinking that the work out there is below them and refuse to compromise. They could have had issues at an old job that continue on into new jobs. All of these situations could lead to insecurity and low self-esteem.

Insecurity and low self-esteem are not things that lend themselves well to a healthy relationship. And DON ‘ T think that you can fix them because you can ‘ t.

So, ask not only ‘ What do you do ‘ but ‘ Where do you do it? ‘

#4 – Do they get along with their family?

Really? Knowing how someone gets along with his or her family is important?

The family is the fundamental relationship of someone ‘ s life and how they interact with that family is important to know.

If your date talks about the close relationship he has with his siblings and that his mother drives him nuts but that he talks to her every Sunday then you know that this person is capable of a healthy emotional connection.

If your date talks about the family that lives across the country who he hasn ‘ t seen in years then it is possible the deep emotional connection might be more difficult for him. Why? Because the basic human connection that we make as children influences who we are as grown ups. And someone who has a rough relationship with his family could be tough to truly connect with.

So, ask the question and listen carefully to the answer.

#5 – Do they have kids?

This one is SO important because kids change everything.

Kids can, more than any other single thing, affect a relationship because kids are, more often than not, THE priority. They will be made the priority above you every single time. Every single time.

And maybe that ‘ s okay with you. Maybe you have kids too and understand the priorities. Or maybe you are willing to make his kids your priority as well.

But maybe it ‘ s not. Maybe you want to always be first or maybe you just aren ‘ t ready to have kids. And that ‘ s okay.

So, ask the question. Because kids will always come first, no matter what you might tell yourself going in.

Dating is time consuming and emotionally fraught and really you don ‘ t want to waste even one minute on someone who raises any red flags at all. Red flags should be noted and acted on.

Make an effort to find out the important things to know about someone before you start dating them. Are they married, do they have a job, do they have kids, do they like their family? These are all things you need to know!

Ask the questions. Get your answers early. Get your answers so you can decide to fish or cut bait right away. Because there are other fish in the sea. Fish who might be better for you. And tastier.

Mitzi Bockmann
Mitzi Bockmann

I am a NYC based Certified Life Coach and mental health advocate. My writing has been published on The Huffington Post, Prevention,  Psych Central, Pop Sugar, MSN and The Good Man Project, among others. I work with all kinds of people to help them go from depressed and overwhelmed to confident and happy in their relationships and in their world.

5 Things to Know About Surviving a Break Up

November 6, 2019/by Mitzi Bockmann


 

Have you and your person suddenly ended your relationship? Are you devastated? Are you looking for things to know about surviving a break up?

Surviving a break up is possible. It will be painful and your recovery might not be as quick as you would like it to be but you will recover and life will go on, as good, if not better, than before.

I have written many blogs about things you can do that are key to surviving a break up. Now here are some things that are good to know about surviving a break up – things that might make your recovery just a little bit easier.

#1. Its ok to be sad.

So many of my clients are so very angry at themselves for being sad about a break up.

In our modern times, it’s a weakness to be sad, to cry, to be anything less than strong and self-assured. Unfortunately, there is nothing worse than a broken heart and I don’t know one person in the history of the world who hasn’t felt pain after a breakup.

Furthermore, it’s okay to be sad for more than a few days. Have any of your friends told you to suck it up and get over it? Are you beating yourself for still letting this breakup make you so sad? Well don’t.

Like any traumatic event or illness, getting over a broken heart takes time. Americans absolutely suck at taking their time getting over something. As soon as things are even just a little bit better, we believe that we need to jump up and get back to our lives, fully intact. But it just doesn’t work that way.

Let yourself be sad and let yourself be sad for a while. Don’t wallow but recognize your feelings and let them happen. If you stuff them down it will be even harder to get past them.

#2. Your thoughts can derail you.

Our very worst enemy, even in the best of times, are our brains. Our brains produce pesky thoughts that can drive us down to the darkest place. And, unless we are aware of them, our thoughts can make surviving a break up even more difficult.

One of the most common worries that I hear from my clients is that their person, their broken person who was making their lives miserable, will find someone else and suddenly become perfect. That all of the issues that they struggled with will be magically cured with their new lover.

This just doesn’t happen. People aren’t magically cured when they find love. They might feel like they are cured in the short term but the reality is is that people don’t change unless they do their work. So, don’t let the thought of your ex now being perfect derail your recovery. Even if you see them looking picture perfect on Instagram, know that they will always be who they are, unless they try to change.

Another thing that derails us is that the pain of a break up is so bad that the only thing that can fix it is getting back together. And, of course, getting back together will ease your pain for a day or two but, sooner than later, the pain of the relationship will return and you will be right back where you started.

A third thing that can really mess with your head is believing that you are less of a person because of this break up. That you are a failure and completely unloveable and that you just gave up and should have been stronger. But, really, there were two people in that relationship and if you both weren’t willing to do the work, to give each other what you needed, then it just wasn’t fixable. You couldn’t singlehandedly keep the relationship going.

Pay attention to your thoughts. If nasty ones pop up, push back against them. Question their reality.  Don’t let those pesky thoughts derail all of your hard recovery work.

#3 – Stalking wont be helpful.

One of the things that can completely derail surviving a break up is stalking your ex.

When I was younger the only thing that we could do if a guy broke up with us was to drive around to bars and hang outs and hope that we would see him. Chances were usually slim.

These days, it’s incredibly easy to keep tabs on your ex. Social media is at our fingertips always and the inclination to get a little fix of what we lost can be irresistible.

BUT, let me ask you ““ how do you feel after you stalk your ex? Do you ever feel better? No? Shocking.

Stalking is the worst thing that you can do if you are trying to get over your ex. Recovery gets easier the longer you have no contact with your person and that includes seeing them on social media.

So, resist the urge to snoop. If you have to, unfriend or unfollow your ex. And remember, the person who is posting on Instagram isn’t necessarily sharing a true vision of themselves. How many times have you posted an inspirational quote when you were feeling really shitty?

Yeah, me too.

#4 Don’t play the victim.

When we are broken hearted it’s very easy to take on the role of victim.

We feel like our person did us wrong and that they are horrible people and that we didn’t deserve what we got from them. Perhaps we believe that we weren’t at fault and that the breakup was unwarranted. And, perhaps, all of those things are true.  You still don’t want to play the victim.

Being a victim means giving up your power. Being a victim allows you to wallow in self-pity and not take responsibility for your actions.

A client of mine asked his wife for a divorce. She didn’t want one and refused to participate in any of the divorce proceedings. She didn’t hire a lawyer, didn’t show up in court, refused to negotiate and the judge ultimately declared a default divorce decree.

Where did that leave my client’s wife? Sitting in her house, wallowing in her victimhood having taken no active role in deciding her future. When my husband left me, I stood up for myself, declared myself better off without him and then took him to the cleaners.

I encourage you to take a good look at yourself and assess your self-pity. Are you feeling like a victim? If you are, get up from this article, look in the mirror and decide that no one is going to make you feel like less than you are. No one is going to take away your power.

#5. Know that you will find love someday.

The number one thing I hear from my clients is that they believe that they will never love or be loved again.

They believe that their person was the only one for them, that they could never find someone they could love as much as their ex. Or they believe that they aren’t worth being loved and how could they ever find someone who could love them.

Even more, the thought of dating again fills them with anxiety and fear. How on earth are they going to do that, especially feeling the way they do right now?

Let me PROMISE you that you will find love again. Do you know anyone who has been alone forever? Even if you know someone who has been alone for a while, they haven’t been alone forever. There is someone else out there for them and for you!

So, believe that you will love again. There is someone out there waiting for you to recover from this breakup and when you find each other all of the suffering will have been worth it!

I know that right now you believe that surviving a break up is close to impossible but I promise you it’s not.

If you can keep in mind that it’s ok to be sad, that your thoughts can derail you, that stalking is always bad idea, that you will be loved again some day then your road to recover can be a speedy one.

And, most importantly, don’t play the victim. Don’t let your ex take your power away. Stand up for yourself and remember who you are! Because you are amazing!

Are you really struggling with surviving a break up?
Let me help, NOW, before it gets out of control!
Email me at mitzi@letyourdreamsbegin.com and let’s get started!

 

Mitzi Bockmann
Mitzi Bockmann

I am a NYC based Certified Life Coach and mental health advocate. My writing has been published on The Huffington Post, Prevention,  Psych Central, Pop Sugar, MSN and The Good Man Project, among others. I work with all kinds of people to help them go from depressed and overwhelmed to confident and happy in their relationships and in their world.

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I'm here to help

I am a New York City-based Certified Life Coach with 10 years experience as a working life coach. I am certified through the Coach Training Alliance and I am a member of the International Coach Federation.

Over the years I have worked with hundreds of people, like you, to help make serious change in their lives. These people have succeeded at, among other things, restoring the love in their relationships, getting to know themselves again and finding their place in the world.

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