Heartbreak is something everyone wants to avoid, much like the traffic in Accra on a Friday evening. It’s painful, inconvenient, and often strikes when you least expect it. However, while you can’t always prevent relationships from ending, you can take steps to ensure that a breakup doesn’t devastate you in the future. Consider this your emotional insurance. Here are ten proactive ways to protect your heart moving forward.
How To Survive Heartbreaks
1. Build your identity outside relationships
If your entire world revolves around your partner, a breakup can feel devastating. It’s important to have your own hobbies, goals, and passions—whether that’s perfecting your jollof cooking, running a side hustle, or pursuing your career dreams. When you are whole on your own, you won’t fall apart when someone leaves.
2. Keep your squad close
Don’t become someone who disappears into “coupledom” and only emerges when things go wrong. Maintain your friendships, family connections, church groups, or that boys-only clique. If a romance ends, your support system will remain strong.
3. Train your emotional muscles
Building resilience is essential before facing challenges. Daily mindfulness, journaling, and therapy can help you manage intense emotions. This preparation ensures that when heartbreak occurs, you won’t be completely overwhelmed.
4. Set boundaries from the start
If you keep sacrificing too much, resentment grows, making the breakup feel like a betrayal. Learn to say no, express your needs, and acknowledge your limits. Healthy boundaries result in less drama if things don’t work out.
5. Stay physically grounded
Heartbreak strikes harder when your body is already run down. Regular exercise, sufficient sleep, and nutritious food (not just late-night waakye) help keep your emotions stable. A strong body can endure a heavy heart.
6. Be realistic about love
Not every relationship lasts forever — and that’s okay. Instead of approaching it with, “this is my one soulmate,” consider: “This could be amazing, but if it ends, I’ll be okay.” Managing expectations helps prevent disappointment.
7. Maintain independence
Shared finances, shared calendar, shared toothbrush… eiii! It’s sweet until you break up and can’t even breathe without reminders. Keep parts of your life independent. It makes the exit cleaner and less painful.
8. Practice micro-breakups
Sounds odd, but take small breaks within your relationship — a solo trip, weekends with friends, even just time apart. It teaches you that you can thrive without constant closeness, so if a real breakup happens, your nervous system isn’t in shock.
9. Build your heartbreak toolkit
Don’t wait for tears to roll before asking, “What now?” Have a plan ready: a soothing playlist (definitely not Adele on repeat), comfort food, favourite series, and people you can call. Preparation shortens the healing process.
10. Accept heartbreak as survivable
The biggest armour is knowing heartbreak won’t kill you. You’ve survived worse — exams you thought you’d fail, jobs that stressed you, even Ghana’s dumsor days. Trust that if a relationship ends, you’ll hurt but you’ll heal. That confidence alone softens the blow.
You can’t fully control love, but you can manage how you prepare for its ups and downs. Just look at some of our celebrities—public breakups, like the highly discussed split between Medikal and Fella Makafui, have caught our attention, while others have quietly parted ways. Yet, life continues. The next time Cupid throws a curveball, you won’t fall apart; instead, you’ll bounce back, much like Banku when it hits the pot.
