Recently, I went through a terrible breakup. I felt blindsided by someone I truly loved, and I was unsure of where to go in life. I was so used to allowing people to walk all over me that when I finally put my foot down and ended the relationship, I felt powerful, yet isolated.

It is perfectly human for us to feel alone. We are social creatures who thrive off of feeling connected and appreciated, and when those connections are cut short, we may feel lost and confused. I certainly felt this loss and confusion when my relationship was severed.

When loss occurs, it can feel like we will never recover from the situation. Sometimes, we are unsure of where to go and what to do to begin our healing process.

To begin, healing is never linear. I wish I could say that I just woke up one day and decided to be over the relationship I had spent so long in, but that was not the case. Some days I felt perfectly fine, and other days I felt more alone than I ever had before. This was when I turned to watching movies to see if I could make myself feel better.

Growing up, I was never a huge movie fanatic. I liked going to the movies with my family, but I wouldn’t sit down and watch a short flick by myself. I didn’t really have a favorite genre, of movie, either. I usually found myself bored at the theaters.

When I got out of my relationship, I wanted to start a change within myself and the way I perceived the world. My friends started taking me out to see movies with them at the local theater, and I lost myself in a whirlwind of imagination. It was calming for me to step out of my everyday trials and focus on the hardships that the characters were facing, empathizing with someone else rather than focusing on the hurt that I was feeling.

I saw many different movies over the summer, and every single one of them left me entranced with the director and their stylistic choices. I couldn’t wait to see another movie at the theater, and the idea of spending time with my friends tantalized me. I invited more and more friends to see more movies, and I made my way through the theater’s monthly showings.

To put it simply, watching movies gave me the courage to step out of my own comfort zone and into the shoes of a lovable character on a screen. I began to start focusing less on my personal hurt and the negative feelings I was trapped in, feeling motivated to finally start to move on.

I am beyond grateful for the friends that took me out to see movies in the midst of this breakup. They gave me a new hobby to focus on, one that I truly adore.

For anyone out there who is in a situation that they feel they will never heal from, find something to throw yourself into. It doesn’t necessarily have to be watching movies like me, but it has to be something productive that will allow you to take your feelings out in a healthy way. Don’t self-isolate: people genuinely care about you and want to be there for you.

Stay strong, everyone – I believe in you.