We all deal with heartbreaks in our own ways. Some reach out for their comfort food, some get on endless calls with best friends, while others prefer to sleep it off. Ananya Panday also has her own heartbreak relief formula that she recently shared during IIMUN’s back-to-school event. Panday’s remedy comes straight from a teenage rom-com film: ‘Mai roti hu, mai ice cream khati hu … sad Arijit Singh ke gaane sunti hoon aur fir thodi der bad bhool jati hu’ (I cry, eat ice cream, listen to sad songs by Arijit Singh and then forget about it). This isn’t, however, a standalone experience.
Taking a cue from her confession and curious about how the human brain actually copes with emotional pain, we reached out to Dhara Ghuntla, psychologist and psychotherapist, to learn more about heartbreak.
How does the post-heartbreak ice cream help?
As per the psychologist, there’s a reason ice cream often becomes the food of choice when a person is going through heartbreak. “After emotional loss, the brain shows reduced dopamine and heightened stress hormones. Ice-cream provides rapid sensory comfort through sweetness, fat, and cold temperature, temporarily activating reward pathways and soothing the nervous system.”
That being said, your reaching out for those tubs of ice cream after a breakup is not a dramatic overreaction, learned from movies; it has a sound biological explanation. “The cold sensation can have a mild grounding effect, reducing emotional overwhelm.” In clinical terms, this kind of comfort eating works as a short-term emotional stabiliser. But she cautions, “This is a short-term self-regulation strategy which is useful for acute distress but insufficient if relied on chronically.”
As per psychological science, ice-cream provides rapid sensory comfort and temporarily activates reward pathways, soothing the nervous system (Image: Pexels)
Why do we listen to sad songs after a breakup?
For many, heartbreak and sad songs go hand in hand—and not because people enjoy suffering. “Sad music facilitates emotional validation and affective processing rather than avoidance,” Ghuntla explains. Listening to melancholic lyrics helps people feel seen in their pain. “It allows the listener to externalize pain, feel ‘understood,’ and cognitively organise complex emotions.”
In simpler terms, sad songs give feelings a voice when words fail. “Neuropsychologically, it can create controlled emotional release without real-world consequences.” You cry, you feel, you release—safely. However, she warns that there’s a fine line. “Excessive rumination through repetitive sad music can reinforce low mood instead of resolving it.”
Psychologist backed remedies for healing
Ananya’s final step—“thodi der baad bhool jati hoon”—may sound casual, but it reflects emotional resilience. Letting yourself feel, then gently returning to normalcy, is key.
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For those struggling to move forward, Ghuntla advices: “Acknowledge the loss explicitly. Labeling emotions reduces reactivity in our limbic system which is the emotion centre of our brain.” According to the psychologist, routine also plays an important role. “Maintain basic routines (sleep, meals, movement) to stabilize the nervous system during emotional dysregulation.”
The psychologist also cautions against getting caught in a loop. “Limit compulsive checking or replaying narratives that fuel rumination. Use supportive connection selectively, not excessively, and consider therapy if grief, anxiety, or functional impairment persists beyond the initial adjustment phase.”
Heartbreak doesn’t need dramatic fixes—just honest feelings, balance, and time. As Ananya’s approach shows, sometimes healing begins with tears, ice cream, a sad song, and the quiet decision to carry on.
DISCLAIMER:This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.
