April 29, 2015

By Ellie Christensen

Whether you’ve finally run out of episodes on Netflix or your favorite show is drawing to a close for the season, it’s hard to know what to do when your favorite TV show ends.

For many, this experience can feel like an incurable heartbreak. In fact, many experience the same grieving process as a break up when their go-to show ends. Usually, people wind up asking themselves what they should do now. Here’s how to deal:

The sooner you accept it, the sooner you can move forward

After finishing “How I Met Your Mother” (HIMYM), I really didn’t know how to survive. In the final season, I even contemplated waiting longer to watch the episodes so that it wouldn’t end as soon. I learned that no matter how hard I tried to avoid the end, it was inevitable and I had to face it. Avoiding it would only prolong the process. It may be difficult to grasp at first, but consider what would happen if the show never ended. Eventually the quality would begin to diminish (if it hasn’t already,) and it wouldn’t be the show that you fell in love with. Sometimes goodbyes are for the best.

It’s OK to cry

People experience grief in different ways. I’m not going to lie; I cried a lot when HIMYM ended – I’m about 95 percent confident my couch still has stains from my teardrops. Maybe not, but it still hit me hard. After nine seasons of getting attached to the characters, I think it’s only natural.

When grieving, any psychologist will tell you to take your time. When a show is such a crucial part of your daily routine, cutting it out can cause you to experience withdrawals. I am hereby giving you permission to cry. Expressing your emotions can be very therapeutic. In the end, time really will heal all things and you will return to a new normal.

Remember—there’s more fish in the sea

Right now you may be feeling as though you’ll never find a show you love that much again—you may not even want to find one, but after you’ve taken the appropriate time to grieve you have to get back out there. There’s a reason why “there’s more fish in the sea” is such a popular saying. There’s another show out there for you, you just have to find it. Once you do find it, remember that it’s OK  to love again. If you’ve exhausted all of the show categories on Netflix and still can’t find anything, it could be time to find a new hobby. Also, let’s be honest, you probably have a lot of homework to catch up on anyway.

Whether you choose to immerse yourself in a new sport, eat multiple pints of ice cream or simply watch another show until your eyes begin to bleed, always remember to stay positive. After all, it’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.