Divorce takes a toll on everyone involved – and it’s one of the most stressful life events that you’ll ever go through.
While it seems like it’s easy to preach about self-care during divorce, science says it’s incredibly important that you make time for yourself. If you don’t, you’re facing emotional burnout that will be tougher to recover from than the divorce itself.
According to psychologist Barba Markway, Ph.D., who’s authored several self-help books, you need to practice self-care to decompress… and you need to do it consistently.
“Our brains go into fight-or-flight mode and our perspective narrows. We don’t see we have options—options for coping with stress and making ourselves feel better,” says Markway.
Self-Care Activities
Markway’s perspective involves taking time to get your mind off the stress so that when you do go back to strategizing or coping with your feelings, you’ll be recharged enough to be productive. She suggests:
- Gardening
- Watching movies that make you feel good
- Creating a piece of art or writing in a journal
- Cleaning out a junk drawer or closet
- Trying something new, or even driving someplace you’ve never been before and exploring
- Read something you wouldn’t normally read
- Exercise, dance, stretch, or ride a bike – anything physical will do
- Take a nap
- Join a support group, a book club, or another organization that gets you out of the house and with others
You don’t have to try all of these self-care activities, but you do have to try at least one of them.
“It can also mean remembering that others go through similar experiences and difficulties as we do,” says Markway. “Simply acknowledging that we’re all part of this human experience can lessen isolation and lead to a calm mind. That’s the best self-care strategy I know.”
Knowing you have a skilled, knowledgeable, and capable divorce attorney in your corner can help alleviate a lot of stress, too. When you can rely on your lawyer to handle the important details, you’re free to focus more on taking care of yourself and your children.
Do You Need to Talk to an Attorney About Divorce?
If you’re thinking about divorce, or if your spouse has already filed the paperwork, you may benefit from talking to a divorce attorney who will be kind, understand your situation, and help you through it.
Call us at 414-383-6700 today for a free case review. We’ll answer your questions about divorce and give you the case-specific legal advice you need so you can breathe… and start the healing process.
