How To Get Away From the Stress of Divorce and Take Care of Yourself

Everything will get better, even the way you are feeling now. It's important that you allow yourself to process every thought and hurt feeling that you have.

By Paisley Hansen Updated: April 27, 2021Categories: Coping with Divorce, Divorce Recovery

The ending of a relationship is always painful, no matter what the specific circumstances are. If you are dealing with the stress of divorce, it’s normal to feel hurt, confused, and not know what to do next. The most important thing to remember when you are experiencing something so difficult is to be kind to yourself and to be patient. Take all the time you need to recover and heal. You don’t need to answer to anyone else’s schedule or take their advice on what you should do. Of course, accept help and comfort when you need it, but listen to yourself and take care of yourself. You will make it through to finding your happiness again.

Here’s How to Deal with the Stress of Divorce

Take a Trip to Take Care of Yourself

Sometimes the best thing you can do is get away for a while. A change of scenery can do you a world of good. You aren’t running away from your problems but just taking a much-needed break to restore your strength and relieve the stress of divorce.

Any kind of trip could be soothing. Do what appeals to you. You may want to travel to a cabin for the weekend with a few close friends or check on deals for exciting weekend cruises. A few days away can be good for the soul and help you to heal faster.

Let Your Feelings Out

Bottled up emotions can cause problems. If you are holding everything in, you might find that everything builds until you can’t take it anymore and break down in tears or lash out at the nearest available person. If held in for too long, unresolved feelings can even start to affect you physically through stress, increased blood pressure, and other symptoms.

Don’t try to clamp down on what you are feeling. Let it out! Call a trusted friend and talk about how you are feeling, or get outside and channel your anger and frustration through some exercise. Journaling is another great outlet to take care of yourself that lets you pour your heart out onto paper without fear or judgement. If you like, you can revisit your thoughts later to get some clarity and identify anything that you have been repressing.

Accept Where You Are

The situation may seem bleak right now. Your world just completely changed and you aren’t sure what path to take next, but that’s okay. It will get better with time. Accept where you are now and deal with your feelings as they come up. It is perfectly normal to feel good one day and not so great the next.

Divorce is a lot to handle, and you will get to a place where you feel consistently happy and excited about life again. Let it happen in the timeframe that you are comfortable with.

Get Support

It’s normal to be overwhelmed by feelings of grief and sadness. When you are feeling down, reach out for support. Turn to your family and friends, or join a group of people going through the same thing you are.

Counseling is another helpful option to take care of yourself. When you are feeling sad more often than not, a therapist can help you to sort through your emotions and come to terms with what has happened. They can also recommend further treatment options that may be helpful.

Do Something to Take Care of Yourself

Remember to focus on taking care of yourself. Now is the perfect time to develop some good self-care practices. Focus on a healthy diet, get some exercise, and take care of your body and mind. Indulge in long, relaxing baths or take your dog for a walk.

A meditation practice or other spiritual involvement can help you rediscover yourself and what your desires and goals are.

Try out some new things and explore everything that is out there. Sign up for an art class or commit to learning a new language. Do something to stimulate your brain and take your mind off of your sadness for a while. Over time it will become easier, and you will look forward to the interesting new hobbies you have developed. 

Pay Attention To Your Needs

While you are going through the healing process, pay careful attention to your own needs. Be kind and nurture yourself. Spend some time with yourself, but don’t neglect your friendships and other social relationships. It’s okay to decline an invitation to go out when you don’t feel like it, but don’t stay home all the time.

Listen to yourself and tell your social circle what you need right now. They will likely want to be supportive and help you through this time in any way they can, but they may be looking to you to see what you are comfortable with. 

You will get over the stress of divorce. Everything will get better, even the way you are feeling now. It’s important that you allow yourself to process every thought and hurt feeling that you have. That way, you can give it the attention it deserves and then let it go to move forward into the happy future that awaits you.