Going through a divorce can be difficult and painful, no matter the reason. It can be easy to get fixated on the stressful nature of divorce and neglect your mental health.
Here are some tips and resources to help you stay healthy, happy, and calm during your divorce.
Recognize Your Feelings
During a divorce, you are likely to experience many different emotions. You may feel sad, angry, anxious, or even relieved. Feeling a whole range of emotions would be completely normal. Give yourself a break and feel these emotions without guilt. Repressing your feelings will most likely cause even more anxiety.
Private journaling or confiding in a close friend or professional therapist can be a very cathartic way to deal with your feelings and provide some much-needed relief during this time of stress.
Stay Connected to Friends and Family
Often, when going through a divorce, people isolate themselves from their friends and loved ones, which can aggravate their feelings of sadness and loneliness. Maintaining these relationships and leaning on those close to you for support can make a huge difference in your state of mind throughout this period.
Expanding your support network is also extremely beneficial. Joining a support group for people going through a divorce is a great way to meet others going through the same things you are and may allow you to forge close, lifelong bonds.
Prioritize Self-Care
Divorce is a hectic time, and it is easy to neglect important things such as self-care when so much is going on. Eating right, getting enough sleep, exercising, and taking time to relax or enjoy your hobbies are great ways to decompress and cope with the difficulties of the divorce process, as opposed to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as drug and alcohol use, which only create more problems.
So take a walk, read a book, go to dinner with friends: take some time to prioritize your own wellbeing.
Plan Realistically for the Future
Divorce is a process; it cannot be resolved overnight. It is important to set realistic expectations and goals. Break tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces, and recognize that each completed task brings you closer to resolution.
Additionally, devoting some energy to planning for your future can give you a sense of hope and direction. Creating a vision of your future after your divorce and setting achievable goals to reach it can help you establish a positive outlook during difficult times.
Seek Professional Support
Seeking professional support for the personal and legal aspects of a divorce is highly recommended. Working with a counselor or therapist who specializes in divorce or family issues provides a safe space to talk about your feelings and learn how to deal with your divorce and subsequent co-parenting difficulties in a healthy and constructive way.
Below are a few mental health resources that may be helpful:
- The Catalyst Center: Offers a list of therapists specializing in divorce and co-parenting.
- Psychology Today: Provides access to online and in-person therapy, as well as support groups, seminars, and articles on coping with divorce.
- Mental Health Colorado: Provides a compilation of mental health resources with a wide variety of focuses, including domestic partnerships, domestic violence, coping with grief, and mental health assistance for children.
Additionally, partnering with an experienced and compassionate attorney can lighten the load significantly.
Navigate Your Case with Confidence
Whether you are contemplating divorce or have already begun the process, consulting with an experienced attorney can take a lot of the pressure off and give you a sense of security, knowing your case is in capable hands.
Our lawyers at Solutions Based Family Law have years of experience helping clients in Centennial through the difficult legal and emotional aspects of divorce.
Call (720) 463-2232 or contact us online to set up a consultation.