Before my first heartbreak, I often boasted that my heart couldn’t be broken because I felt like I could protect myself.
So, when I did, I didn’t know I was experiencing heartbreak because I seemed to move on from the breakup perfectly.
But what actually happened was that I prided myself so much on my ability to be emotionally strong that I suppressed my feelings of hurt.
I ended up crying unexpectedly one day for an issue that normally shouldn’t make anyone cry.
And that was how I knew that I was heartbroken and was – in fact – lying to myself.
What am I getting at?
Sometimes, the signs of a heartbroken woman are not obvious.
So, if you are around a heartbroken woman or you think you are one but are uncertain, I will highlight the signs here.
Read along to find out the signs a heartbroken woman is likely to exhibit.
8 Signs Of A Heartbroken Woman
1. She Withdraws From Social Activities
One of the most obvious signs a woman is heartbroken is that she might start to distance herself from friends, family, and social activities.
Have you ever noticed that you just don’t feel like going out when you are sad?
You’d rather stay cuddled under a blanket in bed, avoiding social activities that once made you feel alive.
I’ve been there too.
When I was heartbroken – even though I didn’t know it at that time or, more accurately, didn’t want to admit it to myself – I found myself saying “no” to every invite.
I couldn’t deal with the energy of pretending I was okay because I knew they would pick something was wrong with me, so it was easier to avoid
Additionally, I didn’t have the energy to be happy.
I just wanted to crawl into a hole and be sad all by myself.
2. She Cries Frequently Or Unexpectedly
Remember how I said at the beginning of this post that I finally admitted to being heartbroken when I cried unexpectedly over an issue that would naturally not make me cry?
That’s how women who are heartbroken cry unexpectedly.
You wouldn’t be able to help it.
Mine didn’t happen immediately or frequently because I was trying so hard to keep it together, but I still couldn’t help it.
I eventually cried when I least expected it.
For some women though, those sneaky tears will come frequently and often at the most unexpected moments.
Trust me, it could be triggered by anything.
You can be walking through the grocery store, seeing something as random as his favorite snack, and suddenly, you are a mess.
In my case, it was a movie that brought the rush of tears.
The emotions just hit out of nowhere, and the smallest things can trigger it.
She may burst into tears while listening to a song or even in the middle of a conversation.
The tears aren’t always predictable, and they often come with overwhelming sadness.
3. She Becomes Emotionally Distant
When a woman is heartbroken, she tends to shut off her emotions, not just toward the person who hurt her but toward everyone.
This is more close to home because that’s what I did.
This sign might not be common because it depends on how open you are to feeling your pain.
Women who don’t suppress their feelings might not have this issue as much as those who do.
Like the characters in The Fault in Our Stars made me realize, “pain demands to be felt.”
Once you do, you will feel a release that will make it easier to live again.
However, I didn’t know that at that time, and many women who don’t are also more likely to keep the world at arm’s length than to risk getting hurt again.
It’s because they’ve built an emotional wall to protect themselves from further pain.
You may notice her responding with “I’m fine” when she clearly isn’t.
Sometimes, it happens for a while, and she gets better with time.
At other times, she might need counseling to feel the pain and let it go.
4. She Loses Interest In What She Once Enjoyed
When heartbreak hits, things that once brought joy start to feel meaningless.
I had a friend who loved painting, but after she went through a tough breakup, her brushes sat untouched for months.
For a heartbroken woman, the energy to enjoy hobbies or passions just isn’t there anymore.
The weight of sadness can overshadow the joy of doing those things she once loved.
It is even more difficult if she enjoyed those things with her lover; doing them will often bring back memories.
So, it’s just easier not to go there.
5. She Struggles With Sleep Or Appetite
Unfortunately, heartbreak has a way of messing with your body as much as your emotions.
This is likely because our physical body is very much connected with our emotions.
That’s why you might have good sleep because you are happy, and you lose sleep and your appetite when you are sad.
One night, you can’t sleep because your mind won’t stop racing with thoughts of “what if,” and the next, you wake up at 3 a.m., unable to fall back asleep, wondering why you deserve what happened.
Your appetite is not left out.
Some women might eat less, while others turn to comfort foods for emotional relief.
A heartbroken woman may find herself out of sync with her usual eating and sleeping habits as her mind and heart struggle to find balance.
6. She Avoids Talking About Her Feelings
As established, it’s tough to open up when you’re heartbroken.
Sometimes, the pain is too raw to talk about, and other times, putting your feelings into words makes it too real.
A heartbroken woman might avoid deep conversations about her feelings because it hurts too much to explain what happened.
After my breakup, I only spoke to my best friend about it because I was with her when it happened.
So, I couldn’t avoid telling her.
If not, I think I would have just dealt with the pain alone because I remember how telling her about it made it hurt more.
In some cases, heartbroken women avoid talking about it because they don’t want to face the pity in people’s eyes or hear well-meaning advice they aren’t ready for.
And let’s be real; people are sometimes awkward with sad emotions.
As much as they might care, many don’t know how to handle it or what to say.
So, a heartbroken woman might find it easier to bottle it up even when she is clearly hurting.
7. She Displays A Lack Of Motivation Or Energy
When heartbreak happens, even the simplest tasks feel like climbing a mountain.
A heartbroken woman might struggle to find the motivation to get out of bed, go to work, or maintain her daily routine.
You will find that she can barely drag herself to work and everything just feels heavy.
Even a woman who isn’t naturally lazy might experience this emotional exhaustion where she feels drained and can hardly manage to motivate herself.
8. She Frequently Reminisces About The Past
When a woman is heartbroken, her mind often drifts back to “what used to be.”
She might replay conversations or special memories over and over again, trying to make sense of what went wrong.
If she’s more expressive, you will often see her talking about what happened in the relationship.
If she isn’t that expressive, she might scroll through old photos or read old text messages, wishing she could go turn back the hands of time.
It’s because the pain is overwhelming, and she wants to go back to the time in her life when she was happier.
When a woman is heartbroken, it might take time to get herself again.
But in most cases, she will get there.
However, if it’s taking too long, you might encourage therapy to help her deal with underlying issues that are preventing healing.