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5 Tips on How to Navigate Life After Being Ghosted by a Date, Friend or Family Member
Ghosting — when someone cuts off all communication without explanation — can extend to many relationships. It has become easier to leave someone's text message on unread or not even show up when meeting up in person.
Here are a 5 tips to help you navigate thoughts, feelings and behaviors after being ghosted.
Tip #1 - Repeat: "Ghosting doesn't define me."
It's vital that you become a ghostbuster and believe that being ghosted says more about them than you. This is about their discomfort and it's not your responsibility to rescue them. Their choices do not define you.
If you choose to tell someone how you feel, manage your expectations and know this is a risk. Even if they don't say what you need in return, it may be beneficial to say your part after you've processed the impact and move on. Be careful that you're not searching for "closure."
Tip #2 - Schedule and keep your therapy appointment
When you've been ghosted, you experience social rejection which activates the same pathways in the brain as physical pain. With this understanding around a sense of rejection, there is a link between rejection and pain which affects the brain chemicals that may lead to sadness, anger, rage, or anxiety.
When ghosted, this behavior may get in the way of you understanding how to navigate relationships or the environment especially if it repeatedly happens. At Beloved Wellness Center, therapy is an opportunity to identify a recovery plan towards navigating your pain and self-discovery.
"Therapy is an opportunity to identify a recovery plan for navigating your pain." – Dr. Dominique Pritchett
Tip #3 - Use coping skills and activities that promote joy
After you've been ghosted, honor the feelings that came up and do your best not to sit in the pain too long. With any setback or disappointment, you want to use your coping skills and activities that promote joy. Joy promotes wanted brain chemicals to help you recover after being ghosted.
Tip #4 - Spend time with your family and friends
Being ghosted may lead you to avoiding and isolating which is common. Do your best to communicate with trusted friends and family members about your feelings and needs as you process being ghosted. Let them know what may help you navigate unpleasant feelings and allow them to support you.
Spending time with family and friends can give you a break from always having to be "on." You don't have to protect anyone's feelings other than your own during this moment.
Tip #5 - Keep your mind and body balanced
There are many ways to keep your mind and body balanced. When trying to create a balanced life, it's important to touch on many areas which is called the 8 Domains of Wellness. Here is guide to help you navigate this journey to creating a healthier life using these domains of wellness
Give yourself grace after being ghosted!
As you navigate being ghosted, give yourself grace aka patience and love. Stay connected with trusted family, friends and support team such as a therapist. This allows you to grow your survival skills through a social monitoring system that uses people, places and emotional cues to guide you with responding to situations. With this being said, avoid isolating and do activities that promote joy and balance in your life.
If these are areas you're struggling with, visit Beloved Wellness Center to learn more about our therapy services.