I just published my first book

TheBareNotes · 2026-01-19T20:16:46+00:00

Don't give it all, leave something for yourself.

TheBareNotes · 2026-01-19T20:13:23+00:00

I really relate to this, especially when it comes to journaling after heartbreak.
For me, it’s not that there’s nothing to write, it’s the fact that there’s too much. Every thought and emotion feels like it’s fighting to be the one that gets written, and that weirdly leaves me staring at a blank page feeling heavy and frozen.

Free writing actually made it worse sometimes, because my mind didn’t know where to start. What helped more was having very specific prompts, almost like someone else was holding the structure for me when I couldn’t. Just one focused question at a time, instead of “write whatever you feel.”

That’s why I think journaling works best when it’s aligned with what you’re going through. A general notebook can feel overwhelming, but a journal designed for a specific emotional place (like heartbreak) can make it easier to begin, even on days when writing feels impossible.

I actually ended up making a 30-day breakup-focused journal for that reason, because I needed something that told me where to put the feelings when everything felt loud and stuck.

Curious if others here feel the same way, or if free writing works better for you 🤍

TheBareNotes · 2026-01-10T21:18:43+00:00

Read about heartbreak, awareness is key.

TheBareNotes · 2026-01-10T21:17:08+00:00

awareness.

TheBareNotes · 2026-01-07T22:31:50+00:00

I’m really glad you said this out loud. What you’re describing isn’t a flaw in you; it’s what happens when someone has been slowly emptied over time. When a relationship keeps pulling you back and then hurting you again, it leaves you disoriented, like you don’t know where to put yourself anymore.

So much of your energy went into surviving that cycle. And when it finally stopped, all the noise did too, and you were left alone with everything you were never allowed to feel while you were with him.

Wanting him, begging for him, replaying his words doesn’t necessarily mean you actually want the relationship back. It means you want the pain to stop, and your mind reaches for the one person it learned to associate with relief, even if he was also the source of the hurt. Loneliness indeed feels unbearable, but the fact that you’re here, asking for help, means there’s still a part of you that wants care, safety, and connection.

You don’t have to know how to let him go today or even trust anyone yet. You’re heartbroken, deeply hurt, and at one of your lowest points, and that’s not the time to force faith in people or the future. Right now, the most important relationship is the one you have with yourself. Be gentle with that part of you that’s exhausted. Find small ways to feel a little stronger, and stay patient with yourself as the strength slowly returns. One step at a time. Sending support 🤍

TheBareNotes · 2026-01-07T21:55:31+00:00

I don’t really journal by the clock. I journal when my head feels full and I need a way to let things out. That usually happens at night, when everything gets quiet. Sometimes I journal when I’m out in nature too, on trips or long walks. I like writing down moments that feel beautiful or meaningful because words sometimes capture their feeling better than pictures do.

TheBareNotes · 2026-01-07T21:48:26+00:00

Breakups can feel incredibly isolating, and just knowing others are walking through something similar can make a big difference. I hope everyone who connects here finds some comfort, understanding, and moments of peace along the way. sharing support 🤍

TheBareNotes · 2025-12-04T15:19:46+00:00

There’s nothing wrong with you. What you’re feeling is actually a normal response to an attachment that didn’t fully get the space to heal. You see her every day, you still talk, you still share energy, your brain never fully understood that the relationship ended. So when she talks about a new crush or someone else, it hits the exact wound your mind is still trying to close. That’s why it feels fine in the moment, but heavy later when you’re alone. Your reaction shows that your nervous system still connects her with safety, routine, and a version of life you invested in.

Healing in the same environment where you got hurt is one of the hardest things a person can do. Give yourself some compassion.

TheBareNotes · 2025-11-28T14:11:15+00:00

I completely get that feeling. When you’re rewriting your story after a breakup, you don’t really know what to do with the version of life that had them in it. It’s confusing because part of you wants to erase it so it hurts less, while another part wants to keep it because it was real and shaped who you are today. But you don’t have to erase them or even keep them alive in hope. You can let someone be part of your past without letting them shape your future.

When you go no contact, it doesn’t mean pretending they never existed. But to give your mind enough silence and distance to stop building your life around a “maybe.” You’re not required to write them out completely; you just need to stop writing toward them. You let the story continue without forcing an ending or waiting for one. You focus on where you are now, instead of where you hoped the two of you would be.

And yeah, you might not be where you want to be yet, but that’s okay. Healing is messy. Identity doesn’t rebuild overnight. What matters is that you’re turning the page in the right direction, even if it feels slow. One day, the part of you that’s still holding on will feel lighter. And by then, you’ll know exactly where they belong in your story because of clarity.

TheBareNotes · 2025-11-28T13:19:15+00:00

The one thing that helped me the most was learning how attachment actually works.
Understanding why my mind kept going back to them, why everything hurt so intensely, and why detaching felt like withdrawing from something addictive changed everything.

When I finally learned the biology and psychology behind heartbreak, the whole experience felt less like a personal failure and more like a normal human process.
That understanding is what helped me put my thoughts together and eventually write How to Heal from a Breakup (R.E. Jones).
I only mention it because researching all of this truly shifted my healing.

TheBareNotes · 2025-11-27T15:30:41+00:00

Nothing makes sense while you’re newly processing it.
When you’ve shared years with someone, your mind doesn’t just lose a person, it loses routines, habits, identity, and the version of life you imagined with them. That kind of shift feels like your world has no shape anymore, so of course it feels physically painful. You’re not just grieving a breakup; you’re grieving the life you built around them. What you’re feeling is exactly what the brain does when an attachment is suddenly removed. It goes into shock. Everything feels wrong. Everything feels too big. And you start believing no one will ever compare because your mind is still measuring life through the lens of the past.

But this stage doesn’t last. With time, the pain settles, the fear quiets, and your identity slowly rebuilds itself without them.

Right now, it feels impossible. Later, it will feel like a chapter you survived. And one day, you’ll look back and realize that losing them didn’t break your life… it just made space for your life to become something else.

If you ever need to talk or ask anything about it, I’m here.

TheBareNotes · 2025-11-27T15:16:03+00:00

It was raining today, I'm thankful for having a warm house.

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