"Understand that your loss — whether it was an ending you wanted or did not want — is real and that it is OK to mourn what you had," Renee Carr, PsyD, psychologist and CEO of The Problem Solver, told POPSUGAR. "It is also OK to view your loss as your new 'low bar' of expectations." Maybe this relationship or job didn't work out — but now you have a way to gauge future successes and failures.
Journaling may also help. "If your heart is hurting, force yourself to journal any memories of when you made a sacrifice only because you hoped or believed that one day it would get better," Dr. Carr said. "By having this written record of the times you settled for less, you can slowly begin to realise that you deserve better."