Why we listen to breakup songs after breaking up with our partner

Whether or not we like to admit it, most relationships end when someone calls time for good. While it’s easier to try to break love down into a science, breaking up is hard to do and the breakup-ee is often left trying to process the different stages of grief. But in the immortal words of Earth, Wind & Fire, what happens after the love has gone?

New research from eharmony shows the average Brit will go through four major breakups in their lifetime, with the first hitting us like a sledgehammer when we’re 20.  What’s more, so deep is the physical pain of heartbreak that more than a quarter (27%) have said goodbye to love for good. But for those still keen to get back in the dating saddle, most believe five months is about the right amount of time to wait before falling crazy in love with someone new.

We’ve all been there. You feel sick, can’t eat, can’t sleep and all you want to do is lie on the sofa in your pyjama’s and listen to music. Whether it’s belting out a ballad at home or listening to a heart-wrenching slow jam during the daily commute, the study shows that those who have been in a long-term relationship say that listening to music has helped them to mend a broken heart.

Aston spoke to Rachael Lloyd, relationship expert from eharmony.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash