When someone that you know personally or someone that you admire goes through a divorce, it’s easy to support their decision and acknowledge the strength it took to get out of a bad marriage. But when divorce happens to you, it’s easy to let those standards fade away and be replaced with guilt and blame. There’s always a mourning period after divorce, even if it was the best path forward. Sometimes losing the dream of what you wanted the marriage to be overshadows what it actually was. If you experience divorce, you need to come to terms with yourself and realize that positive growth can happen only when you actually begin your single life.
That’s where a lot of newly divorced adults get lost. Regardless of how long the relationship lasted, your habits and routines were based on each other. The decisions that you made as a couple are now yours alone. The legal transition from married to single can be abrupt, and the mental transition isn’t simple. Focusing on your mental health and wellness should be your top priority. And to help you along your path, I’ve compiled some advice that clients of mine have found useful over the years.
Being Single Again
Embrace making your own decisions
It can seem daunting at first, but enjoy the fact that every decision you make is now wholly yours. There’s no asking if a restaurant is all right for dinner, and there are no plans on the weekend except the ones you make yourself. Even making little decisions, like choosing what you’re going to have for breakfast, can have a positive impact on your mental health. The real freedom comes when you start thinking big, like where you want to live or what car you’d like to drive.
Find out what you truly enjoy
Making your own choices goes hand in hand with exploring your new world, or even exploring the actual world. Chances are high that there were things you wanted to do or places you wanted to go, but your partner wouldn’t agree to experience them with you. This is your opportunity to reconnect with yourself to find out what your real hobbies and interests are.
It’s OK to find new friends while keeping old ones
You shouldn’t abandon any support group you might have, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add to it. Over time, you might find that hanging out with married couples as a single adult isn’t as fun as it used to be. As you explore your new life, you’ll meet people who share your new hobbies or interests. That’s not something to run away from.
Give yourself the time you need to recover
Everyone processes divorce in their own way, and it’s important to move at your own speed. Take all the time you need to search yourself and identify what you want to get out of this new chapter in your life. Being a single adult doesn’t carry the same stigma that it did years ago. You might find that living single is the path you want.
What matters most is that you take the time to focus on yourself, because your mental health and wellness rests in your hands. If you follow this advice, you’ll find that the pain of leaving a bad marriage will be worth the freedom and happiness you find at the end.
Our Divorce Attorneys Can Help You Prepare for a Life After Divorce
Divorce is challenging, but with Alexandra Geczi PLLC, you are not alone. Our attorneys are here to help you discreetly navigate the process and protect your interests so that you can move forward into a bright, bold future. Contact us today at 214-974-4449.