[LPT request] My girlfriend just broke up with me two weeks before my finals, how can I focus on work and stop my mind wandering to thoughts of her?

Zoom out.

Put her in perspective by remembering different, earlier ages and imagining many future possibilities. Think of both happy and sad times that you've lived through. Think about how they felt at the time, how you thought you'd remember them and how you actually remember them. Think about potential, future events that will be really happy or really sad. Imagine them in great detail. Imagine events that happen at different times and what kind of person you will be when they happen, how you will have changed between then and now, what kind of different person you will be.

Realize that all experiences, both positive and negative, are just food for your soul. Happiness is fleeting and common, mostly easy to arrange but never really lasting. Sadness is usually unexpected but provides the longer-term benefit. Terrible experiences strengthen your empathy and make you capable of understanding and helping others. A trip through a misery strengthens you for future unexpected difficulties.

You will go through so much in your life. Today is just one of hundreds of sharp experiences you will have. As you get older you will learn to savor them all. A powerful feeling is a good thing, both the positive and the negative ones. Our experiences and what we gain from them are what make life worth living and also what make us unique, they shape our character and our reactions.

After you've spent some time reflecting you can turn to your work. Promise yourself that you will do more reflecting later, always even, but now is the time for some work because now is the only time it will be helpful to do it. Reflection is always helpful and you can do it later, too.

/r/LifeProTips Thread