Lindsay McMahon
"The English Adventurer"

Have you ever gone through a bad breakup?

Do you have friends who you know you can lean on through this difficult time?

On the other end of the spectrum, are there people in your life that don’t know what to do or say especially when you are speaking to them in English if it’s not your first language?

You want to be sure to say the right things to somebody going through a breakup–and we’re going to help you with that.

Knowing what to avoid saying is just as important as being there, and we’re going to show you what this includes.

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Knowing What Not To Say Matters Greatly

There are certain things that you want to avoid saying because they are so cliche–it’s almost better to say nothing.

These are the phrases to avoid and to never say to somebody in a breakup when they are hurting and struggling.

  • There’s more fish in the sea: It’s so cheesy and it doesn’t make the person feel any better. This is to say that there are other people out there to find and date. The problem is that in that moment, you don’t want anybody else. This is particularly true if you were the one who was broken up with. Chances are that right after a breakup is not the time to be thinking about somebody else–you’re just not there yet.
  • Everything happens for a reason: People may not mean any harm with this, but it comes off as insensitive. It’s a bit trite and it oversimplifies the situation and the feelings involved. Many of us have said this and when you take a step back and realize it, this is not the right thing to say to somebody in a breakup. You need to let the person feel what they feel in this breakup, and it may not be clear what the reasons are that this happened.
  • Time heals all wounds: This is definitely cliche that oversimplifies the situation at hand. They may find this to be true, but it’s not the right thing to say in the moment. This healing may come later on, but this phrase certainly doesn’t help them now. The emotions are raw, hearts are broken, and saying this asks them to stop and think about their future–and this won’t offer any help but may cause more hurt.
  • There’s always a silver lining: This is to say that there’s always something good even in a negative situation. No matter how horrible the situation is, you can always find something positive. This is not what somebody wants to hear when they just went through a bad breakup as they need to come to the point where they are ready to see a “bright side” or positive side to things.

These are the things not to say if you know of somebody going through a breakup–remember them as you don’t want to come off as insensitive when they are in need.

Sometimes You Just Need To Feel

Breakups are a moment in life where we’re so raw, and you want to take the opportunity to feel everything more intensely.

This is a positive that may come out of a negative situation, but you need to let yourself feel all of this in the moment.

It’s part of the human experience to go through relationships and breakups, and so you need time to feel it.

If you are somebody going through a breakup, let yourself feel and work through the raw emotions.

If you know of somebody going through a bad breakup, then be there for them, offer support, and above all avoid these phrases.

Takeaway

If you know of somebody going through a breakup, you want to be sure that you focus on the right things to say in English.

Be there and offer support and let them feel what they need to feel.

Avoid these phrases as they can come off as insensitive at a very vulnerable time.

Let the person go through the process, as breakups are a very common part of life–you can make a connection just by being there and saying the right things.

If you have any questions, please leave them below in the comments section.

We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

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