The untangling of your life from a spouse with whom you’ve lived for years or even decades can be stressful, to say the least. It can also be heartbreaking and soul-crushing. The process can be even more emotionally trying when children are involved. Their anger, frustration and deep sadness can cut like a knife. All of this can leave you wondering if you’re doing the right thing.
Preparing for the emotional toll of your divorce
You can’t allow yourself to remain trapped in a toxic marriage or one that simply doesn’t make you happy. But we know that the emotional toll that you’re facing is real. Therefore, we’ve compiled this list of tips in hopes that it will make the divorce process a little easier and leave you feeling confident as you move into your post-divorce life:
- Allow yourself to take a break: Life is stressful enough without having to worry about all the various aspects of your marriage dissolution. Throwing divorce proceedings into the mix can make your life feel overwhelmingly stressful. But as you navigate your divorce, it’s okay to operate at something less than your optimal performance. After all, you need to reserve some energy to focus on yourself.
- Try to understand your emotions: You’re going to feel the whole spectrum of emotions as your marriage dissolution plays out. Don’t try to suppress those emotions. Doing so will only lead to more stress. Instead, try to understand why you feel the way that you do and try to gain acceptance of them.
- Find support: This seems obvious since you’ve probably already surrounded yourself with family members and friends who are on your side. But there are other ways to gain support, such as by seeking out assistance from a mental health professional, financial advisor, and support groups.
- Focus on your children: If you have kids, then they’re probably the most important thing to you. And they’re likely going to have a hard time with your divorce, too. So, make sure that you’re talking to them and, more importantly, listening to them. Try to establish new routines and set consistent expectations between the two households. Most importantly, remind your child that you love them and that you will always be there for them.
- Find new interests: When you’re headed toward divorce, you need to redivert some attention to yourself, too. One way to do so is to find new interests or rekindle old ones. These hobbies or passions can help you find energy as you power through the darkest days or your marriage dissolution, and they can give you a sense of motivation and even excitement about your new post-divorce life.
Let an attorney deal with the complexities of your divorce
Finding a way to cope with the emotional realities of your divorce is more than enough to handle. But the truth of the matter is that there’s a lot more that goes into the marriage dissolution process. Dividing marital assets, settling disputes over child support and alimony, and negotiating marital debts can all be stressful but necessary parts of the process.
But if you don’t want to shoulder the burden of those issues on your own, then you might want to consider seeking out legal assistance. An attorney who is well-versed in divorce matters can help craft the legal arguments, strategies, and positions that you need to not only find a fair and favorable resolution to your divorce, but also set you on a successful path to the next hapter in your life.