6 Expert Strategies For Beating Post-Divorce Blues
Learn how to be happy again after divorce.
Figuring out how to be happy again in your life after divorce can be profoundly difficult. After all, divorce is an upheaval of all that was, all that made your life make sense. The misery that comes with all the change is profound, which makes coping with divorce — let alone figuring out how to heal and move on — a struggle.
However, staying stuck in the misery is optional. You can make it through your divorce. You can learn how to be happy again and maybe even find love again, too. For now, your focus shouldn't be on dating after divorce, but just know that it will be a choice for you in the future.
How? First, you need to understand what misery is. Then, you need to learn ways of coping with divorce that will empower you to do something about it.
Misery is an "SOS" from your soul. It's a result of feeling alone, stifled, overwhelmed and scared. You've asked yourself "Should I get a divorce?" And then you followed through on the answer and you're feeling the after effects.
You may have been alone during your marriage when one or the other of you had a business trip, took a quick trip to visit family, or even relaxed on a solo vacation with friends. But being alone is entirely different when you're divorced.
Before, you knew you would be together again. Now, it's a fact that you won't. There aren't any homecomings or an end to you being on your own without your ex this time.
However uncomfortable "alone" might feel to you right now, it is just the result of you coming to terms with the new order of things in your life. Alone means more than being without your ex. Alone also means freedom — freedom to do things your way, to make your own decisions, even to parent as you see fit.
You're probably also going through a huge change in how you live your life. Now you've got less money available, rules about when you parent, and maybe even a change of residence. Even without the divorce, these are big changes you're facing.
On the surface, you might consider your life as less than it was. But it's this superficial view that is making you feel stifled and trapped.
During your marriage, you and your ex probably chose the divide and conquer tactic for getting chores done, taking care of your family, and earning enough income. Now you get to do it all. And that's a lot to have suddenly dropped squarely on your shoulders.
Then, on top of that is doing what you must for completion of the legal process of divorce. This is probably unfamiliar territory for you and figuring out how to meet the demands of the legal process on top of trying to keep your life together is understandably overwhelming.
Change is scary. You might be feeling anxious because of all the losses you've suffered. You might be fearful because of what you're having to do to get your life back on track. You might be scared because you don't know what the future holds for you. And you might simply be terrified by all of it!
The thing is that at the root of all these fears is negative thinking that changes your situation into a terrifying horror story.
Taken on their own, each of these emotions (loneliness, stifled, overwhelm and fear) is challenging. When you experience them all at once, the result is often soul-crushing despair.
However, your situation isn't as hopeless as it might seem to you right now. The secret to getting out of being stuck in the muck of misery is to recognize that you can deal with each of these four emotions separately. By doing so, you loosen the bonds of your despair and move forward toward being genuinely happy again.
If you want to figure out how to be happy again after getting divorced, these 6 tips for coping with divorce can help.
1. Focus on your independence
How it supports you in creating your new life might surprise you. You'll discover that you can shift from feeling alone and lonely to self-confident.
You'll likely even begin to enjoy being by yourself so you can do things that nourish your mind, body, and soul.
2. Look deeper at your situation
You can see you've still got some choices — even if they're decisions between alternatives you don't especially like. When you have the freedom of choice, you can never be truly trapped. (Don't believe me? Check out Viktor Frankl's classic Man's Search For Meaning.)
3. Reenergize yourself
Take at least 5 minutes every day (20 minutes two times a day would be ideal) to do something that re-energizes you and helps you to feel more connected to life. You might try yoga, meditation, running, or even walking outside to hug a tree. By grounding yourself daily during your me-time, you'll discover you have more energy and brainpower to easily tackle all that you face.
4. Change your focus
Do what must be done first and be willing to let your definition of must change. During your marriage, there were two of you to get everything done and so the things on the must-do list could be a bit broader. But now that you're on your own, you have to become ruthless about what must-do means now if you're going to stop feeling overwhelmed.
5. Ask for help
And it can be very specific help — when there are more must-do's than you can ever hope to accomplish on your own. The reason for specific requests is that it allows you to remain in control of your situation. If you simply ask for help in general, you run the risk of setting yourself up as a victim and undermining your ability to step powerfully into your new life.
6. Take 10 deep breaths and ask yourself some positive "what if" questions.
Have you ever noticed that you're most afraid when you ask yourself negative "what if" questions? (What if I never find a job? What if I am alone for the rest of my life?)
By taking 10 calming breaths and then asking yourself positive "what if" questions (What if I ask my friends to help me find an amazing job? What if I heal from my divorce and meet an incredible person?), you'll redirect your thoughts to the positive possibilities. And you'll aim yourself toward taking the necessary actions to make your life better, quiet the fears and get you unstuck.
By putting these tips into daily practice, you'll soon find yourself moving toward what you want in your life, instead of feeling miserable about what isn't there anymore. You'll gradually recognize that although you still feel some pain and grief about your divorce, you aren't consumed by it.
And, don't worry if you do feel miserable from time to time after you start feeling better. It's normal to feel like you're going backward every now and again.
You've developed a bit of a habit of feeling alone, stifled, overwhelmed and scared. So it will be a bit unfamiliar at first to shift your thinking and actions to one of responding positively to an "SOS" from your soul. But the more you practice taking care of yourself, looking for solutions and changing your thoughts to positive "what if's", the less miserable you'll feel.
These tips can help you start coping with divorce in a healthy way, so you can heal your heart, move on and learn how to be happy again post-divorce.
Dr. Karen Finn is a divorce coach and divorce survivor herself. She helps people who are dealing with the pain of divorce. You can join her anonymous newsletter group for free advice or email her for a free consultation. Don’t let the worry about divorce ruin your life, help is available as soon as you’re ready.
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