My eyes started to water, my chest felt like it was being stepped on and it seemed that my heart could stop at any moment. A wave of sadness overtook my thoughts and I had to go to the counselors twice that day. I tried my best to stay positive and strong, but the conversation continued to play in my head.

Last Monday, I got my heart broken for the very first time. At first, I avoided talking to everyone; I was scared of my parents and peers because personally, I thought they would judge me. I tried my best to stay distracted so that I didn’t have to keep thinking about why we weren’t together anymore.

The week flew by, but it also moved like a turtle. A part of me knew that I would be able to get through it; however, I would have occasional breakdowns because I couldn’t comprehend the whole breakup. I just kept reminding myself that I was okay with being single before the relationship, so I will be fine afterward.

Just as my relationship issues started to fade away, I found out that my oldest brother was going through a hardship, as well. Even though the situation wasn’t mine, it still affected me because the person who hurt my brother was close to my family ever since I was in elementary school.

At this point, life felt like it had turned against me and even my mom agreed. She sat me and my brother down to tell us that if someone brings you down, be the bigger person and confident without them.

Taking my mom’s advice into consideration, I knew that I shouldn’t be worrying about someone who probably isn’t giving me a second thought. Not only did I spend time with my family, but also with my friends. They helped me realize that time is precious, and it shouldn’t be spent worrying about what had happened already. They helped me realize all the family time that I lost because of the relationship.

Trying to stop thinking about someone you once loved is tough. I found that writing in a journal and drawing helped a lot with coping. When I was writing, it would let me open up to myself, rather than someone else and understand how I was truly feeling. When I drew, this let my emotions take over and be in control of what I wanted to draw.

If you are in a situation that you have no control over, try your best to not worry about it. Moving on will be hard at first, but as cliche as it sounds–everything takes time. Most people have different ways of coping with their issues, and it is important to find the way that best suits you. If you don’t, you may be hurting yourself even more by constantly over thinking or stressing. We’ve got years ahead of us, so don’t fixate on the negative. Spend your time wisely. Focus on how to better yourself as a person, focus on your goals and values in life and most importantly, focus on yourself.