GRACE MEETS ROSIE GREEN

Meeting strong, empowering women never fails to inspire me, and with Rosie Green it was exactly that – she is, quite simply, an amazingly strong and inspirational women. Award-winning journalist, author, beauty editor and single mum of two teenage children, it’s not difficult to see why she's a contributing editor on Red Magazine. Blindsided by the end of her 26 year marriage, Rosie’s book, How to Heal a Broken Heart: From Rock Bottom to Reinvention, is a candid insight into her devastating journey through pain and desolation to emerge stronger and more resilient. A brilliant guide for all women who have been through a painful separation, I caught up with Rosie to chat more about her book.

Firstly, this is a brilliant book that I think every woman who has ever known heartbreak should read. Can you give us a brief glimpse into what readers can expect and what they can take from your experience?

Thank you! I wanted it to provide practical help and emotional support to anyone going through a painful spilt. It’s part manual, part memoir – a book that will hold your hand through the most devastating of times. And – crucially – show the reader there is light at the end of the tunnel. 

As a journalist and writer, did writing it come easily to you or was it made harder by the raw and painful elements you had to revisit in sharing your story?

Writing it definitely helped me process my own thoughts and feelings. Plus it helped me regain my own narrative, as I completely lost my gut instinct and sense of self in the early days of my split. It was tough revisiting the moments of desperation and raw grief, but cathartic too.

Was it a therapeutic process? And what’s the most valuable lesson you have taken from it all?

Yes it was. I feel lucky that my job allowed me to spend so much time talking and reading about heartbreak. I talked to so many experts and got so much insight into how I could help myself and others move on and up.  

Then when my writing started resonating with so many women who were going through, or who had been through, a painful spilt, it gave me a sense of purpose and passion. To help others has been incredible. 

I’ve learnt so many lessons, but to me the most fascinating is how, in times of stress, your subconscious takes over and makes you do things you would never normally do. Like stalking your ex or begging in desperation. The realisation that it’s not even about your ex, but your brain and body craving safety, reassurance and certainty. 

What’s the single most important piece of advice you would give to women going through a similar experience?

Be the hero of your own story. You are in control of how this pans out. You can either be bitter and resentful or go out there and smash your Plan B. 

It’s been a long and lost year! How did you manage to balance work, family and home schooling as a single Mum?

It’s been tough sometimes and I think I’m only now realising the physical toll of being a single Mum. But I also feel very lucky. Our house is happier and more harmonious now. And although there are challenges I feel closer than ever to my kids. 

Your proudest achievement?

I think it would be that I’ve made women feel less alone, less shame and given them some hope for happiness. 

How do you feel about our midlife years? And what are your thoughts on the narrative that surrounds ageing?

As a beauty editor I think a lot about the process of ageing and how to approach it. I feel pretty good about myself generally. Of course I have days when I’m aghast at my neck – but most of the time I can brush it off. I think it’s about investing time in yourself – because if you feel good you look good and vice versa. I also think so much is about lifestyle choices. You can have all the tweakments and treatments you want, but if you drink like a fish and eat crisps for supper it’s not going to look good.

I hope that we are slowly coming to the conclusion that you can be vital and attractive at any age!

What’s the beauty must-have in your makeup bag?

I love mascara (obviously), but I also love Studio10 I-Lift Longwear Liner that you put along the lashline to open up your eyes.

Desert island disc, book and luxury item?

Stone Roses albums to remind me of my youth, Jane Austen’s Emma, and a glamping tent with fairy lights – fairy lights make everything better! 

And finally, your favourite quote?

Your value does not decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth.