No matter who chose to end the marriage, divorce always hurts and is one of the most difficult experiences to overcome. For some people, the loss of love and shattered dreams of a shared future are too much to handle. If you feel that you are sinking deeper and deeper into sadness now that your divorce is over, you should take the following tips into consideration. Below, we explain how you can change your mind-set about your divorce and move onto the next phase of your life.
#1: Be Thankful for What You Have
Experiencing grief is a normal part of going through divorce, and expressing your sadness is sometimes necessary. However, you don’t want to let grief and sadness become a habit that consumes you. Instead of thinking about what brings you down, figure out what is still in your life that you are thankful for. Shifting focus from what you have lost to what you have gained will help you build momentum towards improving your happiness.
#2: Appreciate the Past
After divorce, you will almost certainly still have emotional bonds with your ex that will frustrate you. Sometimes you might find yourself in the opposite positon, where you have unexpressed regrets about your own actions. Either way, you need to acknowledge that without going through a divorce with your ex, you would not be the person you are today. Appreciate that your difficult experiences have given you valuable lessons to apply to your life after divorce.
#3: Make a Plan for Your Future
Now that you are divorced, it is time to get serious about what you want to get out of your fresh start. Start with small goals and work onto larger ones. As you move on to each of your goals you will see your happiness levels shift.
#4: Look Towards the Future with Anticipation
Having a positive outlook on your future will help you achieve what you couldn’t do when you were married to your ex. The more you look forward to the future, the more time you will spend making your goals a reality.
Although you shouldn’t expect every day to be life changing, you shouldn’t look towards your future with fear or a sense of dread. Instead, build on your successes and anticipate that there will be more to celebrate or achieve.
#5: Pick Happiness
Although it is a cliché, your happiness is a choice that only you can make. You can choose to continue thinking about things that make you sad, or you can choose to alter your perspective. Having a happier life after divorce ultimately comes down to your ability to continue choosing to be happy with your new life.
Do you need help with your divorce proceedings? Contact our team of Fairfax divorce attorneys to schedule an appointment today.