If you are about to go through a divorce, or have recently gone through one, you are no stranger to difficulty and struggle. Divorce is one of the most challenging things that an individual can walk through. Still, there are times when divorce is unavoidable. The Law Office of David Pedrazas can assist you in times just like these.
You will likely experience a variety of understandable emotions such as guilt, anger, depression and fear both during and after a divorce. It can feel nearly impossible to go through such intense and raw emotions for long time periods as often happens with divorce. There is hope to find happiness after divorce, though.
Common Difficulties After Divorce
Although everyone’s situation is unique, there are some common struggles that most people experience after divorce. Here are a few to think about.
- Loneliness. The loss of an intimate relationship can be isolating and result in unmet relationship needs.
- Grief. The Five Stages of Grief often take place after a divorce. Just like after an actual death, this can happen after the death of a relationship. You may experience denial, anger, bargaining for more time or depression. Thankfully, the final stage of the grief process is acceptance.
- Financial Difficulty. Money struggles for either party going through a divorce are common. There are now two separate places to live with their own expenses instead of one.
- Children’s Struggles. Perhaps the most difficult thing to experience is the challenges a divorce may pose to your children. It is possible that they may experience the five stages of grief too.
- Co-Parenting. Unique challenges surface as you work with the other parent to set up fair boundaries for custody, child support and just generally strive to maintain a cordial relationship.
Finding Happiness After Divorce
You may be reading this article and thinking that happiness after your divorce seems like a pipe dream. It may be hard to imagine that things can get better, but understand that they can. It just takes some time and key moves. Here are some specific ways to work towards happiness after a divorce.
Expect it to Take Time
Divorce is like a huge wound. At first, you may not even realize how badly you’ve been hurt. Wounds take time to heal. Expect things to gradually feel better as you move on with life. Do not base how bad things may seem right now on how things could be weeks, months and years from now. That will only bring unnecessary depression and grief on you. Focus each day on becoming a little more healed than you were the day before. Someday you will look back and be amazed by your progress.
The Greatest Happiness Factor
The greatest happiness factor is you! That means doing your best to have a positive outlook even in a bleak situation. A different job, new place to live or someone new to love will not help if you cannot first help yourself. Find ways to improve your outlook and your mood. It may be a long time since you’ve smiled. Make a goal to genuinely smile three times in one day. It may seem a bit contrived at first but keep trying. This will help you to feel better in the short range. You can make a goal to laugh once a day or write down a list of five positive things that happened to you each day.
Recognize Good Results of the Divorce
It is important to write down or recognize some of the good that came out of your divorce. Perhaps you no longer must live with ongoing relational stress, no longer consistently get into verbal battles or are out of an abusive relationship. If your children are in a safer environment, take note of that. Recognizing these positive points will make it easier to be happy with your new situation.
Try Something New
Now that you’re away from that stress, this can be a great time to try something new. Find a hobby that you always wanted to do and dive in with both feet. Hobbies that involve exercise are especially helpful as they help to eliminate stress and manage depression. Take up journaling, go fishing or give tennis a try. Dating is something to try again when the time is right, too.
Experienced Divorce Representation with David Pedrazas
If you are experiencing stress in a marriage and need help in the Salt Lake City, Utah area, the Law Office of David Pedrazas can assist you. We are committed to doing all that we can to improve your situation. We have helped many people just like you walk through tough times in relation to divorce. We wish you the very best as you work to get happiness back into your life if you have recently encountered a divorce.
If you have any questions, feel free to call us at 801-263-7078, or schedule a Legal Case Review online. We pride ourselves on our experience representing divorce, family law, child support and child custody.
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