Navigating a divorce is one of the most stressful and life-altering events someone can go through. Whether or not you initiated the divorce process, your spouse blind-sided you, or the feeling is mutual, it can feel like you are losing everything you have, and that your current life is being turned upside
Dealing With The Stress of Divorce
From worrying about your children and your own happiness to how to rebuild your life, it can be confusing what to do. Don’t worry, many moms facing the divorce process feel this way. You are not alone. Tapping into a support system and some stress management techniques can help you to not only survive divorce but thrive and live a fulfilled life. Moms, read on to discover four tips to help you create the support system you need and cope with the stress of your divorce.
1. Consider Consulting a Mental Health Professional
Dealing with the stress of your divorce, along with day-to-day responsibilities can be draining. Not only will you be coping with the divorce, but compounded stress of helping your children cope can just add to it. Plus having to balance household needs, or your career can all pile up. It also can be tempting to internalize everything that you are feeling and experiencing. It can help to talk to a professional about your feelings and mental health to get some advice.
Now it’s even easier than before to find help and fit it into your busy schedule as a mom. For instance, you can connect with a mental health professional through an online psychiatry consultation to talk about your stress. You can also discuss different mental health solutions such as an anti-anxiety medication or continued therapy sessions. Having a trusted professional you can go to with your concerns can help you to feel more confident and better equipped to deal with stress and any mental health concerns you may have.
2. Connect With Your Community
A great way to build your support system is to network with other divorced moms. Connecting with a divorced mom’s community can allow you to find support and help from others that can understand your unique position and perspective during the process. They can provide you with advice and connect you to valuable resources for you and your family.
They can talk with you about what worked for them, and be a resource for you down the road. From co-parenting, and communicating with your ex, to talking through how divorce may impact your child, it’s great to network with those who have been there and done that. Many moms have gone through a divorce and you may have an excellent community of strong moms right around you just waiting for you to connect. Having a support group to lean on can help to alleviate stress and they could become your second family.
3. Don’t Spend Too Much Time Alone
Divorce can make you feel like you are losing your family and cause you to feel isolated and alone. It can cause you to shut down and close in when you are consumed by the process. Rather, when going through your divorce, try to prevent yourself from spending too much time alone. Instead, get out of the house, get your mind off of a divorce, and distract yourself with some good company.
Connect with a friend, or a family member, join the PTO, or unwind with your kids. Check out these fun things to do with a mom friend. Being with good company can allow you and your kids to still have fun, build memories, and strengthen friendships. It’s important to get your mind off your divorce from time to time, so try to reserve these moments to talk about positive and fun things. Also, don’t be afraid to join some other fun groups or classes in the community such as joining a group exercise class. Not only will it get you out with others, and help you meet new people, but something like exercising can actually help you beat stress.
4. Celebrate Yourself
Your divorce can provoke a lot of stressful and negative thoughts. From questioning where you went wrong, to blaming yourself or feeling inadequate. All of these things can be a blow to your self-esteem. Take some steps to prevent the guilt and regret of divorce from stressing you out. Instead, celebrate yourself, it’s time to make self-love your new best friend.
Every day write down in a notebook the things you like about yourself, things you have achieved, and what you are proud of and grateful for. This will help you to block out negative thoughts and prevent you from being too hard on yourself. Also, treat yourself to lift your spirits. Allow yourself to enjoy a tasty treat, relax with a manicure kit, have a movie night with the kids, or go out to dinner with a friend.
Although divorce is painful, remember that it can also provide you with the opportunity to start over. Perhaps your marriage was preventing you from reaching your personal or professional goals. Perhaps now, you and the children will grow stronger and closer.
Remember, now you have the chance to try something new, find a new purpose, or even the chance to focus on yourself and self-improvement. With a fresh perspective and positive mindset along with a solid support system, you are sure to be able to better cope with stress during your divorce and beyond.
Leave a Reply