Going through a divorce is challenging. You begin to doubt who you are at your core and may even find yourself emotional over things that never bothered you before.
While everyone has a different story when it comes to their divorce, one thing is true: there is a happy and fulfilling life awaiting you on the other side of the divorce lawyer, court dates, and paperwork.
You just have to know how to tap into who you really are, learn to rely on yourself and those around you that love and support you, and trust that everything will be okay.
Maybe not now, or tomorrow, or next month. But at one point, everything will be okay.
Here are some easy ways to get started so that you can begin to reinvent yourself post-divorce and become the amazing person you know you are.
1. Take Time for Yourself…Every Day
Even if it’s only five minutes of peace a day, take some time to decompress, relax, and feel good about yourself. This can be challenging for those with kids, but self-care is something all parents, divorced or not, should take part in.
It is easy to lose yourself in this new normal. Don’t let that happen.
2. Do Something Different
Oftentimes in marriages, we forget what we like to do. We are always so worried about pleasing the spouse, the kids, shoot, even the dog.
But what about you? What do you like to do?
Get out and do some things that you are passionate about. Better yet, try something new. Take a cooking class, learn to paint or dance, even take a mini vacation – all alone – if this is something that both inspires you and frightens you.
The fear you feel while doing things that are different, without someone to comfort you along the way, is actually you growing as a person.
3. Lighten Up
This can be tough for those that are divorced and find themselves facing a ton of responsibilities that once were shared.
However, understand that not everything will get done as it should every single time. But trust me, the dishes will always get dirty. The errands will always need running. These things will never go away.
So, rather than try to cram it all in at once, take each day bit by bit and realize that some dishes in the sink do not have the power to dictate whether you are happy or not. You can get to those things later, I promise.
Live in the present. Enjoy the little things in life. Watch your spirit heal. You may even begin to like yourself after a while and prefer to be alone.
4. Listen to Your Heart
The self-doubt that creeps in after a divorce can ruin even the strongest people. No matter what the circumstances were surrounding your divorce, know that you did the best you could. And, if you truly feel you didn’t do your best, resolve to do so moving forward.
You know who you are, you know the integrity you hold, and you know what makes you happy. Forget what others say, don’t make decisions based on what people advise, and simply learn to trust yourself.
In the end, coming back from a divorce can be a long and trying road. But if you keep moving forward, and try your best to focus on all things good, you will soon find yourself as a brand new person, which is all actuality was your true self all along.