The Three M's: Music, Mind, and Merriment

Mike came moping into my room the other day, seeming unusually depressed. He had just broken up with his girlfriend of 7 months. Nobody, especially him, saw this coming. They were the couple that was going to be together forever, the relationship that everyone wished they had.

It’s no surprise that Mike took this hard, as he was happier than ever and then seemingly out of the blue she dumped him. Her reason, she didn’t have the time or emotional availability to deal with a relationship.

About a week later when my friend Mike saw her walking down the sidewalk of our college campus holding hands and laughing with another guy, his heart was broken. I tried everything I could to comfort him, but nothing worked, for the next two weeks he was a depressed, miserable human being, and who could blame him.

This wasn’t the Mike I knew, I had to do something to get him out of this slump and to start living his life and meeting new people. What did I use to do this? You guessed it, the three M’s.
After a long few minutes of convincing him to come with me to a party that night, we finally went. During that day I had been trying my best to put on the most upbeat and fun music I could. Even with this I noticed a slight difference in his behavior.

At the party we met a few of our close friends. That night we all, including Mike, had a great time. Mike had successfully begun his healing process.

The point of this story is what it takes to get over a rough break up. It is what I like to call the three M’s: Music, Mind and Merriment (the only synonym for fun I could find that started with an M ). Mike had listened to great music, had fun with his friends, and most importantly, decided in his mind it was time to stop being sad.

These three things work wonders on me no only after a break up, but pretty much whenever I am feeling down about something. The combination of these is a very potent one.

If you are going through depression because of a breakup, then you need to use these strategies to get over it, because being sad is a waste of time.

Here is what I do:

1. Decide in your mind that it is time for you to move on and be happy. This is crucial to your success. Tell yourself and make the decision that you will not be sad anymore and will start doing anything you can to make yourself happy.

2. Spend a long time listening to your favorite songs. These are the songs that make you the happiest. All of the songs that make you feel awesome. Listen to nothing but those. Avoid music that makes you feel sad or reminds you of your ex.

3. Start having fun. Have as much fun as you can. Do something you have wanted to do for a long time but just never got around to. This is very important to the recovery process and can help make you happier and move on easier.

Anytime I break up with someone or know someone who has just broken up, this is what I tell them to do.

Another piece of advice I have before I go is this: take action. If you read this article and then do nothing, it will have been meaningless. Nothing in life gets accomplished without taking some sort of action to get it done.

So, with that said, start doing these steps and go out and be happy!