Sometimes, when I need answers, I like to take my questions to Google. I have googled âHow long does heartbreak last?â The result more popular than that was âHow long does heartburn last?â This implies people suffer from heartburn more than they do heartbreak, which is a good thing, because heartbreak sucks way more than acid reflux ever could. Weirdly, though, a broken heart does physically hurt. It feels heavy, like someone is sitting on your chest. There are upsides to despair. You can wear a blanket instead of a coat and your friends wonât judge you. You can smoke indoors because nobody will have the heart to tell an inconsolable girl that a smoking ban has been in place for eight years. And you find out that people are very nice and that they care about you, even if the person you care about most doesnât. On a positive day during an outdoor â and legal â cigarette break, I told a friend that I was fine and trotted out the line, âWhat doesnât kill you make you strongerâ. To which she replied, deadpan: âThatâs not true, that which doesnât kill you makes you wanna die.â The nicest thing I heard during the worst time in my life was this: âYou have to suffer heartbreak so you know what to tell your daughter when she has her heart broken.â I canât wait for that day to come. The problem with heartbreak is that nobody can help you. Not the films you watch alone, searching for a character who feels the way you do, not the glasses or bottles of whisky you keep by your bed, and certainly not Instagram. Every time you post a picture of yourself on Instagram looking fake happy, a fairy dies. Also, scrolling through photos of girls your ex may or may not be shagging wonât help you. Remind yourself that the right filter can be fantastically flattering, and she probably doesnât look that good in real life.
Alexa Chung (It)













