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Divorce is a difficult time, and no one can deny this. You are encountering a significant life change, contributing to feelings of stress. After your separation, you might find yourself sad and lonely, wondering if there is any way to move forward from this. While it might seem as though it will not get better, this is not the case.
Mack & Santana Law Offices, P.C. knows how hard it is to process a divorce. However, we are here to support you through this difficult time. We have steps for emotional processing to encourage emotional and mental healing after your divorce. Follow along and make positive changes in your life.
1. Acknowledge the End
Recognizing the end of your relationship is one of the first steps that you should take. While your partner is not ‘gone forever,’ you still have lost a significant person who played an important role in your life. Taking the time to grieve this loss will help you process your negative emotions. Create a time and space for yourself to mourn the time and energy you spent with this person, even if the separation was inevitable.
2. Grieve Sooner than Later
Many individuals choose to postpone their grieving, telling themselves that they actually don’t need this processing time. However, people who bottle up their emotions in these ways often encounter outbursts. These emotional outbursts are not only hard to deal with, but you can also hurt others by ignoring them. Even if you think you are succeeding at pushing away your feelings, that is likely not the case. They will eventually make their way to the surface. Taking the appropriate time to grieve your relationship will ensure healthier ways of coping.
3. Know You are Not Alone
While this phrase might seem overused and cliche, indeed, you are not alone in healing after divorce. Many other people have gone through the same situation as you, and are also navigating how to heal after relationships have ended. Normalize the emotions you are experiencing and understand that they are not surprising or unwarranted.
4. Look to the Future
At the moment, you might feel as though you will never mentally heal after your separation. You may think that the feelings of sadness or loneliness will never go away. However, as time progresses, you will begin to get accustomed to your new normal. Months or even years down the line, you will look back and wonder why you ever doubted your ability to recover. Acknowledge that while your negative feelings are valid from the divorce, they will also improve over time.
5. Turn Pain into Motivation
While acknowledging your feelings and experiencing them is a crucial part of the healing process, you can also use them to motivate change. Part of healing is bettering yourself. By doing this, you can help other people who might be going through similar experiences as you. Resources such as support groups are great places to find motivation from others who are also dealing with separation. You can also motivate yourself to try new hobbies or return to things you previously enjoyed.
6. Forgive Past Wrongs
If you find yourself still placing blame on others or yourself for the separation, consider how forgiving might help. Forgiveness is not necessarily for the other person in the situation but for your own healing process. By not forgiving, you are holding onto all of the negative feelings towards your ex and yourself. These emotions can impact other relationships in your life, hindering you from success.
7. Rally Your Support
Find friends and family that will always support you. These people will listen to you but also help you navigate through your feelings after divorce. Schedule out time to spend with your support system to reduce feelings of loneliness. The more time you spend with others, the less time you will have to preoccupy yourself with grief and pain. Furthermore, by letting your support system know that you are struggling, they can take appropriate steps to help you heal.
8. Contact an Experienced Legal Team
One of the best ways to reduce stress during and after separation is to have an experienced legal team on your side. Mack & Santana Law Offices, P.C. understands how difficult it is to heal after a divorce, but we can help ease the process for you.
We’re here to help you with the divorce process. Contact us today at (612) 712-3890 to schedule a consultation so we can assist you as soon as possible.