How to cope with the pain of a divorce

Divorce can be an arduous process, even when you’re the one who wants a divorce. Many people experience grief over how things turned out with someone they once thought they would spend the rest of their lives with. And sometimes, this grief can be prolonged by the fact that it often takes at least six months to finalize a divorce in California. However, by following healthy coping strategies, there are ways to help ease the pain of the process.

Don’t try suppressing the emotions

Most people are in the habit of suppressing their emotions, which results in that energy building up inside the body. It’s in danger of coming out all at once when you snap. You could also unintentionally take it out on others in your life, like your children, friends or significant other. In moments where you can’t pause to allow yourself to feel your emotions fully, you could set aside several minutes later in the day to sit with them and fully feel them with acceptance and non-judgment. The feeling is what allows you to release pent-up energy and move on.

Flip the negative thoughts

A cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) strategy that’s easy to do is to turn your negative thoughts into positive ones. Thoughts influence how you feel and behave. Negative thoughts tend to create negative feelings and behaviors. So, when you catch yourself thinking something negative, you could consciously change it into a positive thought.

Take care of yourself

Taking care of yourself helps you feel better because you’ll find it easier to think positively of yourself. In addition, exercising and eating a nutritious diet positively affect mental health through how they impact your brain.

Seek therapy

If you’re struggling a lot with the divorce, therapy can be an option. Therapy isn’t only for those who have mental health disorders. Therapists have plenty of strategies they could recommend for you.

Divorce is a significant life change that naturally causes stress and grief. However, following the healthy coping strategies above could set you up for a happy life.