Love Yourself: 7 Tips for Self-Care Following Divorce

Going through a divorce can leave you feeling bitter, angry, lost, and lonely. It can be all too easy for these feelings to get the better of you and suddenly you’re spiraling into depression, despair, and unhealthy habits which can affect both your physical and mental health.

Staying positive and finding ways to take care of yourself post-divorce is essential. Here are some helpful tips to ensure that you do:

  1. Get enough sleep

Unexpectedly becoming single again can mean you start to go out and have late nights, even drowning your sorrows. Others may find that the despair and anxiety keeps them up at night. However, sleep deprivation can have a profound and severe effect on a person’s mood, while having a good night’s rest can put things in perspective and help you feel confident and full of energy. So pay attention to your sleeping habits and try to maintain good sleep hygiene to help you heal.

  1. Get active

While it can be tempting to hide under the duvet with a box of your favorite chocolates, if you choose to hibernate, you are more likely to fall into a bigger and bigger slump. Exercise has been proven to have a positive effect on a person’s mood and sense of wellbeing. If you get some fresh air, get moving, take up a sociable new hobby, or just go for a brisk walk to clear your head, you’ll find your mood quickly lifts, and you’ll feel healthier and happier in no time.

  1. Keep a routine

While divorce might mean you take some time off from your usual activities for a while, it’s a good idea to try to resume normal life as quickly as possible. That doesn’t mean your routine has to be the same as it was when you were married; in fact, it almost certainly won’t be. However, having a schedule of daily activities to keep you purposeful and busy can help take your mind off things while making sure that you stay on top of the day to day tasks and chores of life as well.

  1. Allow yourself to grieve

While getting on with it all is admirable, it is also essential to allow yourself time to feel sad, to grieve, to reflect on your marriage, and to be in touch with your emotions. If you have good relatives and friends, it might be helpful to talk to them, or perhaps you might consider hiring a therapist to talk things through with. It’s okay to feel sad and angry, so don’t bottle those feelings up as they could do you more damage in the long run.

  1. Get positive

While there may be things that you miss about your marriage, it is important to focus on the positives. There are lots of great things about being single, and looking at why it might be advantageous to be so again will help you look forward and focus on making yourself as happy and healthy as possible. Do things that you love, revel in being free, remember the annoying habits that they had or the things that they found annoying about you that you no longer need to pay attention to! It can be quite cathartic and will help you gain a sense of perspective too.

  1. Try new things

A divorce undoubtedly brings lots of change, but instead of fighting the change, why not embrace it? There is probably never going to be a better time to try new things, push yourself, and do those things you always wanted. So get out there and be adventurous, and you’ll feel that life has so much more to offer.

  1. Learn to let go

Holding onto the anger and bitterness you might feel isn’t healthy and will get in the way of you living your best life. Recognize the feelings that you have and then learn to get over them. If you can forgive and move on you are being much kinder to yourself. Remember, you are the only person that is in control of truly letting go.

At Village Law Group, we understand how tough it can be to go through a divorce, and our experienced, compassionate lawyers work hard to support our clients through the process, even step of the way. If you would like some advice get in touch for a free, confidential consultation today.

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