When you decided to get divorced, you likely recognized the process would be difficult. But you may not have fully understood how the process could impact your mental health.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, approximately 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. experience a mental illness every year. The following strategies can help you protect your mental and emotional health as you work on ending your marriage.
1. Give yourself permission to grieve
Even if your divorce is amicable, it still represents a loss in your life. Allow yourself to go through the grieving process and remember that this is a normal part of getting a divorce. In many cases, fighting the grieving process is counterproductive, so try and work through your emotions at a steady pace.
2. Take care of your physical health
Your physical health can affect how you feel on an emotional level. During the divorce process, make an extra effort to eat a balanced diet, exercise and stay physically active and limit your reliance on alcohol as a coping mechanism.
3. Seek support from others
You do not have to cope with the emotional side of your divorce on your own. Instead of repressing your emotions, talk them over with a close friend or family member. You may also want to consider seeing a counselor or therapist.
It can take time to heal emotionally from the divorce process. Take things slow in your personal and professional life as you get used to this life change and work on moving forward.