Top five ways to recover from a broken heart

Put the ice cream away and take charge of your life with these break-up recovery strategies.

Jann Warner, a love coach, suggests the following five ways to nurse a broken heart and pick up the pieces again:

1. Time: Given enough time, you can heal any wound. Warner says the best thing is to give yourself time to mourn and recover. "Take time to journal, as this helps unclutter the brain and acknowledge your emotions. Take time for leisurely baths and walks and ‘just being'," she says.

2. Grace: "Show yourself the same kindness you would show somebody else in the same situation," Warner says. Don't beat yourself up; rather surround yourself with positivity. Warner advises you see a therapist if you are feeling overwhelmed.

3. Unveil: Use this time to get to know yourself again. Do something for you that you were unable to do before, like learning a foreign language or taking a trip overseas. "Get to know yourself, regain your confidence and self-respect and appreciate and listen to yourself," says Warner.

4. Celebrate: Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, Warner suggests you find something positive to celebrate and be grateful for each day. Celebrate being single. "Treat yourself to flowers, a new outfit, a CD or something that will make you feel special. Wear the jewellery in your jewellery box, use the special tea cups allocated for visitors only, light candles at every meal, play your favourite music as loud as you like and wear your finest clothes just because you can," she says.

5. Open heart: Don't let a lost love be your last - open your heart to the possibility of loving someone again. "To ‘protect' your heart by not allowing it to love again is not protecting it, it is denying it the chance of love," says Warner.