How To Heal From A Love Let-Down

Nobody’s perfect...not even your partner. When disappointment is bumming you out, take these steps to reset.

- Esther Perel

The person you’ve been seeing didn’t show at your birthday party— after promising up and down that it was on the calendar. Or you recently found out that your significant other has been secretly in touch with an ex. Such screw-ups aren’t necessarily relationship ending, but they can continue to cause you distress, even after you receive a heartfelt apology. Why?

It may be because you’re under 35 and part of what I call, the disappointment generation. Love has become a major source of self-worth for young people, so when you’re faced with a relationship setback, even a minor one, you’re likely to feel it more deeply and personally than previous generations did. At the same time, millennials have been taught to think that anything is possible—so you may really believe in romantic fairy tales or that you’re destined to be with The One. With this mind-set, it’s not so easy to simply say, ‘Okay, ___ made a mistake. That’s all right.’ It can feel like your entire bond is demolished with just a tiny bit of miscommunication.