10 Phoenix-area activities to try after a breakup

Going through a breakup? Here are 10 Phoenix-area activities to boost your mood.

Newly engaged. With baby. Bought a home!

These are common posts to see while doom-scrolling on social media, making it literally the worst thing to do when dealing with a fresh breakup. Despite the instinct to snuggle under your covers and stare at the phone while dealing with fresh wounds of the heart, wallowing for too long just perpetuates the painful, lonesome feeling of rejection and loss. Instead, setting a time limit to the wallowing will actually help offer the motivation you need to get out there, find yourself, and rediscover who you are without the extra weight of a person no longer worthy of your affection.

You can start with some of the tried and true methods, such as going for a spa day, retail therapy, or checking out a restaurant that’s been on your radar but is just something that your ex refused to try. You can also try volunteering to avoid focusing on yourself.

When these quick-fix methods have expired, it is time to try something a little more out of the comfort zone. Here is a list of 10 things to do around Phoenix to turn that frown upside down and gain back your self esteem. Who knows, maybe you will meet someone organically while out and about. There are over 7 million people in Arizona, after all.

Wander a farmers market

Farmers markets are an open-air shopping experience where artisanal growers, sellers, and crafters gather to bring their best wares to the locals. It is a great way to break away from the pain of a breakup as you get to breathe in the fresh air, eat the good food, interact with the cool people, and usually see quite a few cute dogs. Did you know that Arizona has many amazing markets? Here are eight of the best.

Belly laugh at a comedy club

If you are up for a good laugh—which you are probably due for—check out one of the many comedy clubs around the Phoenix metropolitan area. Some notable ones include: Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy, The Bridge Improv Theater, Improvmania Comedy Club, and Stand Up Live.

Try a rage room

Angry? Break stuff. In a rage room it is totally acceptable, encouraged, and expected to pulverize everything into pieces. Simply Smashing is just one of many rage rooms around the Valley, but with very high reviews. Entrance is $60 for about 20 items. Is breaking stuff not quite for you? They also have a paint room where you can get covered in paint. 

Forget about the past at paintball

Speaking of getting covered in paint, it may be time to check out The American Paintball Colliseum, which includes paintball, airsoft, and laser tag. Here you have to focus on living the moment as you will be busy shooting others with only slightly painful ammo while also hiding and trying to avoid that same ammo. Living in the moment gives you the chance to forget about the past for a while!

Ooh and aah at art

Phoenix, particularly Roosevelt Row, is full of art and celebrates this with a spectacular First Friday event every month. Every corner is full of vibrancy and can include any type of art ranging from print to flow to physical and more. If you don’t have anyone to go with, there are no worries there. First Friday attracts a party of a crowd and you can meet as many, or as few, people as you choose to. With the booming music and vibrant color, you are bound to find an attention-catching distraction here.

Sweat it out

After a breakup, working out releases dopamine and helps you form a body that the person never knew—there is peace in that. It can also help you meet people who are interested in bettering themselves in many ways. Phoenix has a plethora of options for working out, including Pure Barre, Cyclebar, and Elevate Yoga AZ. You could also try goat yoga or hike a nature trail.

Let music soothe your soul

If you have ever wanted to learn an instrument, picking it up as a hobby is a great way to add to your skill set while developing a healthy outlet for your feels. Guitar Center offers music lessons to beginning and advanced musicians with pretty reasonable prices, depending on the instrument and time commitment you want to make. You could also check out a concert at one of the amazing concert halls across town, including The Van Buren, Last Exit Live, and Footprint Center.  

Join a group

Whether or not you have the most understanding friends in the world, chances are you don’t want to overburden them with your low mood. An easy way to get out and find new things to talk about is to join a group! Based on your interests, Meetup is a great way to find a group near you that is doing something you are curious about. There are groups about literally everything, including running, psychic connections, history, food, art, cartoons, you name it! Meeting new people while exploring your interests is a great way to rediscover yourself while opening the doors to new meaningful connections (I still have friends from an online writing group I joined when moving to Phoenix after a breakup).

Take a class

When dealing with heavy emotions, there can be comfort in focusing on your intellect. Taking a class can act as both a distraction but also a way to empower yourself into feeling more like a catch because hey, here you are feeling down while working on your brain. In fact, taking a class can also be a way to break into a new industry if you’ve ever been tempted to switch career paths!

Depending on your budget, there are many ways to take classes. The most affordable, less people-y way is to take a class on Skillshare. You won’t get a degree with this, but you will learn something of value and get a chance to chat with people far from your circle. Another affordable, slightly more expensive, option is to look into your community college. It is usually fairly easy to join a community college to take—or audit—a class of interest to you. A more expensive way is to look into Ivy league certificate programs. Many people don’t realize that Harvard, Cornell, and Oxford offer online certificate programs for only about a month’s worth of pay. If you choose this route, you will get to put one of these schools on your resume, which is really a bragging right. 

Snap some photos

Maybe doom scrolling isn’t a good idea, but occasionally posting a selfie will land you many compliments to have you feeling fly. When this isn’t enough, either grab your friend who takes captivating photos, or hire a professional photographer to capture the essence of your babeness! Some local photography studios where you can hire a photographer include Parkwood Studio and Hollywood Photo Studios. A quick Google search will also reveal many independent photographers. Maybe some of these photos can make it onto your new dating profile! 

The takeaway

Breakups are hard, and the only way to truly heal is to face how you feel and give yourself time to heal. You will heal, though, and planning fun activities for yourself is a great way to find moments of joy, hope, peace, and rediscovered self-esteem.

So get out there, have fun, and remember these three things:

1. You are worthy.
2. You do NOT need to try out bangs right now.
3. As grandma always says, it is better to have loved and to have lost than to have been stuck with the dummy even longer.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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