Before you even begin reading this, know that I pray for everyone out there every day who is going through a similar situation — their first or most recent heartbreak. Know that you aren't alone, regardless of how lonely your situation feels.

This school year, in my incredible, beautiful group of six gal pals (love you all, hope you're doing well), four of us went through some pretty tough heartbreaks. After my relationship of two and a half years ended due to difficulty with distance, I was a wreck for a while. I felt completely alone, especially since none of my friends had ever been through anything similar.

For a few months, I had to relearn how to immerse back into the real world that I had been completely shying away from for so long. I had more free time than I could handle, and I spent a lot of it crying, watching One Tree Hill (Brooke Davis, may you reign forever) and questioning so many parts of my life.

While I was miserable at first, I slowly began to find myself again. It was just me now; there was no more "us." Eventually, I concluded the reason I was having so much trouble getting over the relationship was because I had put all my faith in another person. I lost my identity in this relationship. For the majority of high school, my life revolved around my boyfriend and our plans together. He was my priority and my focus (for the record, I am in no way bashing him or this relationship in any means — he is a great guy and I am so thankful for the time we had together) but sometimes good things must come to an end for greater reasons out of our control.I let our relationship dictate how I spent my time.

Slowly, but surely, with all this extra time I had now, I found myself putting more effort into my school work, hanging out with my family, attending school functions, going to youth group more and deepening my relationships with my girls.

Months later, I finally found myself more independent and happier than I have ever been. My friends loved the "new, fun Bailey," my attitude in school was better, and I enjoyed family dinners more than ever. But soon, the heartbreak hit my best friend. The brightest, funniest, most lively girl in our group was completely, utterly broken. She didn't want to leave her bed, she couldn't eat and every song reminded her of him. Seeing her hurting was killing me. I wanted so desperately for her to remember the fantastic, beloved girl she was before him. He didn't make her into the great girl she is, but she allowed him to get under her skin and make her believe that without him, she was worthless.

This happened again with two more friends, and the more they hurt, the more I hurt for them. I couldn't stand seeing their shirts wet from tears or their cheeks hollow from lack of food. What had we become? We put all our faith into a temporary human, and now we were letting them control us, even after they chose to walk out of our lives.

Yes, grieving is important, natural and healthy. But completely losing yourself because someone else doesn't want you anymore is not. As my mother continuously tells me and my friends, as young, empowered people, we cannot give ourselves over to those who hurt us, especially young females. In a world where men already have so much power, we cannot let them control us anymore than they already do. You are YOU whether they're in your life or not, and you are perfect how you are. We can't give our power over to the people who leave us, and we can't lose our identity in something that doesn't exist anymore. We have to take control over our hearts, our minds and our bodies and remind ourselves how amazing we are and that we were amazing people before the relationship even happened.

So for anyone fresh to the single life and/or still trying to get over someone, I've asked around and compiled a short list of a few things to help you with the moving on process. It is a long and painful journey, and I know it feels so lonely, but the good news is you really aren't alone.

I guarantee if you are sitting in class right now or in a coffee shop or at work, someone in the room is feeling the same thing you are feeling or has felt it before. So be open with others. Allow yourself to grieve but then also allow yourself to heal. Find a new Netflix show to binge-watch. Listen to new artists. Hang out with your mom. Don't dwell on what can't be changed. It's gonna get better.

As the extremely aesthetically-pleasing embroidery in the cover photo states, you are NOT a reflection of those who cannot love you, so do not ever allow yourself to feel worthless because another human cannot or chooses not to be a part of your life anymore. The hole you are feeling in your heart can really only be filled by two things — love from God and love from yourself. His love for you is greater than any love that a human being can produce. We don't have the capacity to love unconditionally and eternally the way he does. And even if you aren't religious, if you look in the mirror everyday and tell yourself, "Hey dude, you are smart, beautiful and worth more than you know," I guarantee you will grow in confidence. You are the only you, you are the only person who knows you the way you do, and you have to live with you forever. So love yourself the way you want someone else to love you.

Best songs to listen to when you just need to feel sad:

"Some Things Cosmic" by Angel Olsen

"Garden" by Shunkan

"I Hate U I Love You" (ft. Olivia O'Brien) by gnash

"The First Cut is the Deepest" by Sheryl Crow

"To Build a Home" by The Cinematic Orchestra

"All I Want" by Kodaline

"Fire & Desire" by Drake

"Marvin's Room" by Drake

"FWU" by PARTYNEXTDOOR

"Needed Me" by Rihanna

"Sunburn" by Ed Sheeran

"Stealing Cinderella" by Chuck Wicks

"I and Love and You" by The Avett Brothers

"Dreaming With a Broken Heart" by John Mayer

Best songs to rock out to when you're feeling/need to feel confident (or if you just want to dance around your room because you can):

"Piece of My Heart" by Janis Joplin

"Garden" by Shunkan

"You're Such A" by Hailee Steinfeld

"Can't Get Enough" by Basenji

"X" by 21 Savages

"Waves" by Kanye West

"Make Me Proud" by Drake, Nicki Minaj

"Island in the Sun" by Weezer

"Domino" by Jessie J

"Burnin' Up" by The Jonas Brothers

"Love Myself" by Hailee Steinfeld

"Flashing Lights" by Kanye West

Good quotes to remind you you aren't alone:

"Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have - life itself." — Walter Anderson

"The bad news is nothing lasts forever, but the good news is that nothing lasts forever." — J. Cole

“We want to avoid suffering, death, sin, ashes. But we live in a world crushed and broken and torn, a world God Himself visited to redeem. We receive his poured-out life, and being allowed the high privilege of suffering with Him, may then pour ourselves out for others.” — Elisabeth Elliot

"It's time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I'd much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure." — Ernie Harwell

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference: Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen." — Reinhold Niebuhr

Bible verses to remind you you aren't alone:

"...I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God..." — Isaiah 43: 1-3

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." — John 14:27

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." — 2 Corinthians 12:9

"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old." — Isaiah 43:18

Best foods to eat when your stomach is upset:

Baked potatoes

Chicken soup

Bananas

Rice

Apple sauce

Pickles

Nacho Cheese Doritos

Bread

Best shows to binge watch with your newfound free time:

Stranger Things

Criminal Minds

Friends

One Tree Hill

The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Broad City

Great British Baking Show