Divorce is painful and recovering from divorce is painful as well. But divorce recovery is possible. There are three stages of recovery – contemplating, navigating and recovering.
Contemplating
Start by accepting that you won’t have all the answers now. Give yourself some time before making any radical decisions. A general rule of thumb is to wait a year before making any major changes. Everyone’s path to recovery is different. Understand that you will be grieving at some point and that you may feel scared and that is okay. The amount of time it takes varies from person to person. Don’t feel like you are in a race to some finish line.
Navigating
Be careful of who you confide in. This includes family. Find someone that is knowledgeable about divorce to talk to. At the same don’t isolate yourself. Sometimes it helps to surround yourself with people that care about you. Make lists. Make lists about your financial concerns, household concerns, legal concerns and emotional concerns. To help you feel more accomplished and have a better grasp on your life spend some time getting organized.
Recovery
Spend time with friends or join a support group. Try new things, go new places or change up your look. Try writing down your story. Journaling can help you gather your thoughts. Exercise everyday. This gives your brain and your body the chance to recover. Learn to enjoy being alone. Make new friends and reconnect with old ones. Don’t feel pressured to jump into a new relationship right away. Ultimately remember opening yourself to love means loving yourself first.
Thank you for visiting the Cheerful Hearts blog, run by Laura Beth, an online life coach. If you need help along your divorce recovery contact Laura Beth to see how she can help.
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