Blog Posts by BounceBack

Put some ART in your heARTbreak
By Patia Braithwaite for BounceBack.com

There is nothing fun about heartbreak. Whether it's divorce, a breakup, or even the loss of a loved one, it's pretty safe to say that separations are hard to process. For some of us, grief involves tears, chocolate, and anger. For others, it's about staying strong and moving on. Regardless of your heartbreak recovery routine, perhaps you can incorporate a little "ART" into your heARTbreak. The BounceBack team has compiled a list of four fearless artists who handled their loss in extraordinary ways. Some of the ways are healthier than others, but, hopefully, these artists will inspire you to artistic action.

Henry Miller
1. Henry Miller
This American author of the controversial Tropic of Cancer is quoted as saying that "the best way to get over a woman [or man] is to turn her [or him] into literature." If Miller's provocative books are any indication, Miller had a very passionate love life. He was known for seamlessly blending fact with fiction,

Did your relationship make it past St. Patrick's Day?

By James Lane for BounceBack.com

As we all witnessed last week, St. Patrick's Day is one of the biggest holidays for drinking and partying, but it also marks the end of the holiday season. John Mayer seems to think it marks the end of something else, as evidenced by his song St. Patrick's Day... the time when relationships that started last fall either make it - or break it.

If you have heard the song, you know the theme. If not, here's a sample of the lyrics: No way November will see our goodbye/When it comes to December it's obvious why/No one wants to be alone at Christmas time/And come January we're frozen inside/Making new resolutions a hundred times/February, won't you be my valentine? /And we'll both be safe 'til St. Patrick's Day.

Related: On a Post-It? REALLY??? The 10 Worst Ways to Break Up With Someone

We're sure that this is how some of us are feeling: that meeting someone in November, at the cusp of the holiday season, is amazing. You have someone to

Keeping Quiet Can Be Smarter Than You Think
By Kelli Cooper for BounceBack.com

Amazing things can happen in silence. It is in this space that the real you shines through. You gain clarity. The answers that have eluded you become clear as day. You make the amazing realization that you are not your thoughts and feelings, that you are pure consciousness and these are entities that are constantly passing by in various forms.

Related: Feeling Down About Being Yourself? 7 Things You Should Never Apologize For

Ah, the wisdom of silence. Unfortunately, this silent time can make us very uncomfortable. We do anything we can to avoid it, to not pay attention to the things that come up when there is nothing but us and our thoughts. Meditation is one of the most beneficial practices I have ever adopted, yet one of the hardest and even after practicing for years, I still have my moments when I find it extremely difficult and agitating to sit with my thoughts in a silent space. So, I get the difficulty. But, having reaped the rewards I

Sometimes friendships aren't forever... be ready for change
By Lindsay Ross for BounceBack.com

What defines a romantic relationship - effort, feelings, memories, trials and tribulations, successes? Are these the same words used to define friendships as well? If so, those are strong words to define a strong bond between two people. So often in life friendships diminish, weaken or end completely. We are constantly being coached on how to deal with a broken heart or how to end a relationship with a girlfriend or boyfriend, but what do we do when we need to dump a friend? Or worse, what do we do if we are dumped by a friend?!

Related: Why Hard Times are a Necessary Step on the Path to Happiness

We are always changing. Changing because of moving locations, meeting new significant others, finding new passions or discovering new priorities. Old friends that used to hold such a major part in your life can sometimes become a mere memory of how life used to be. Sometimes this happens naturally and there is a mutual realization that the

There may be some sweet in the sorrow of parting...
By Erin Miller for BounceBack.com

We all have experienced pain and sorrow in life, and wounds heal once they are given proper attention. It's tempting to want to move around the sorrow and directly begin the healing process, but the truth is, there is no way out but through.

Related: Go Ahead, Grieve

The human species can be very creative, especially when it comes to pain. We numb ourselves with television, shopping, alcohol, drugs, you name it-anything to distract us from feeling our pain. But in doing so, we extend the healing process for longer than it needs to be, and by numbing ourselves, it's hard to find the wisdom we need to gain from our trials and tribulations.

Related: Starting Fresh: 6 Tips to Get Over The Past and Find Love Again

Remember to have patience, because wisdom is born out of the shadows. Stuffing the mind with heaps of information and trying to eliminate the natural cycle of sorrow and joy will only provide a glare of light. Moving into darker places will show

5 Rules of Online Relationship Etiquette
By Alysia Stern for BounceBack.com

Being in a relationship involves being committed to another person. It takes two people to give 100 percent of themselves to remain an alliance. In the beginning, if you are on a social media site like Facebook, it is only natural to want to post "In a Relationship" as your relationship status to show all your 500 friends how happy you both are. But what happens when the relationship ends? What do you do then?

Here are four rules of etiquette to help you get through all the ups and downs of your relationship - online:

1) First and foremost: wait at least six months to post that you are "In a Relationship". Sharing your significant other to the social media world should wait. You could always write sweet comments on pictures or posts if you feel the need to "piss on someone's wall" to make it clear that they are "taken".

2) To be in a relationship, it takes two to tango. To walk away from a relationship, it may only takes one

Avoid Being the Girlfriend Before
By Laura Yarborough for BounceBack.com

Being in a dead-end relationship can sometimes make you feel inadequate and confused, but it's not your fault. Love is good when it's just right, but when it's wrong it's just plain wrong. Have you ever been in a relationship for so long, with no commitment, no engagement and you just feel like you're stuck at a dead end? You even have some cases where you've established a committed relationship and even got engaged, but never made it to the altar.

Related: The Perseverance Test: The Importance of Not Giving Up

Ironically, you're still single and all your exes are supposedly happily married, so you start to think, is there something wrong with me? Are you tired of giving your all and getting nothing in return, but grief? Do you feel like you've prepared your exes for marriage, yet you're left holding the bag? Well, if you're fed up of always being an option, instead of "the one," here are some ways to help you break away from

What can you learn financially after divorce?

1. Money earned on my own is worth more than money earned by someone else. I have worked since I was sixteen years old and there is something about earning money that gives you a sense of pride and accomplishment. After my son was born my ex begged me to stay home full-time; I was miserable and we ended up compromising and I went back part-time. I loved my son and spending time with him but I needed to feel I was accomplishing tasks outside of feeding him and changing diapers, it was part of my self fulfillment. I have many stay at home mom friends and I think