Sony MusicWe thought dealing with NSYNC splitting up shortly following Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears' breakup was rough, but that was nothing compared to what One Direction fans have been through this year.
First, Zayn Malik left the group. Then Louis Tomlinson became a baby-daddy, thus breaking the hearts of Larry shippers everywhere. Then the post-Zayn era started, which was a rough transition. Then Zayn and Perrie Edwards broke up. And now this. The boys have announced that they will be taking an extended hiatus to pursue solo projects.
Woof. That is enough to shred the emotions of 1D fans until there is nothing left but tattered remains on the ground. We signed onto Twitter after the news broke and it basically looked like this:
But hark! Let us look on the bright side of this hiatus, Directioners. First of all, these guys could probably use a break, right? So their mental and emotional health will get a much-needed boost. Plus, these solo projects could lead to your next favorite song! Harry Styles, Grammy Award-winner? C'mon. That sounds nice.
And now some of that energy that went into following the band and Tweeting and Tumblin' and all that can go toward other stuff! That's how we survived the great NSYNC break of 2002 (which hasn't ended. Still waiting…fingers crossed!)
Here are some ideas for One Direction fans to help them keep their sanity during the hiatus, from one boyband lover to the rest:
1. Take up the latest fitness trend. Can we recommend freezing yoga? It's an underground movement where people sit in an industrial-sized freezer until their muscles tense up so much that every motion is painful.
2. Learn a new language so you can talk to 1D fans in other countries on Facebook.
3. Join a book club. Start a book club. Be your own book club. Write a book. Just do something with books!
4. Finish that Iron Man-Liam Payne fan fiction. You know the one…it's titled "Steel Hearts Steal Hearts."
5. Plan a wedding for every fictional couple you love.
6. Redesign your Twitter bio. Use the word "boner" three different times.
7. Redesign your Tumblr page. Use the word "boner" five different times.
8. Take up some cooking classes. Hold your own Chopped competitions in your house.
9. Play every Legend of Zelda game ever. Write screenplay for live-action adaptation. Cast Niall Horan as Link.
10. Come up with a new game for kids to play at recess. Hopscotch Freeze Jump Rope Tag! Boom. Nailed it.
11. Write a dystopian Young Adult novel that takes place on Sesame Street in the future. Make Elmo the oppressive tyrant.
12. Sign up to vote, if you haven't already and are old enough.
13. Volunteer at a local homeless shelter or organize a food drive at your school.
14. Adopt a new accent and refuse to acknowledge that your voice is different when people ask you about it.
15. Start training for a marathon. Netflix or actual. Your pick.
16. Volunteer at a local pet shelter. Or become a foster parent for pets in need of a temporary home.
17. Start a babysitter's club. Don't be like Claudia.
18. Campaign to join Taylor Swift's squad.
19. Create a new food trend and sell your idea to Whole Foods. For example: the skin that forms at the top of pudding infused with oxygen from a kid genius for only $198.99.
20. Take every Buzzfeed quiz ever.
21. Learn to code so you can hack into every website and change it to a 2002 version of your MySpace page. Think Comic Sans and moving glittery letters.
22. Apply to be on the Bachelor/ette. Stage a coup and take over Chris Harrison's job. Become new reality TV god.
23. Go through your closet and donate old clothes to your favorite charity.
24. Rewrite every Disney movie from the sidekick's point of view. Let Lumière speak!
25. Become Beyoncé.
26. Start an Instagram account for the voice inside your head.
27. Slide down a wall. Curl up into fetal position. Rock back and forth. Cry.
Good luck during the hiatus, 1D fans! We'll see you on the other side.