Surviving Divorce During The Holidays
Posted on: 30 November 2014
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Divorce can be very painful and difficult, and even more so around the holidays. If you're going through a divorce during the holidays, these tips will help you through this emotional time.
Find New Ways to Manage Stress
Now more than ever you need a few healthy, solid methods for handling stress. A few tried and true ways include:
- Exercise
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Massage therapy
- Acupuncture
Set aside time each day for your own stress management. Explore these methods, or come up with some of your own. Hot baths, long walks, aerobics, and bike riding are all good ways to manage stress.
Remember You're Not Alone
One of the most difficult aspects of surviving this process is the feeling of isolation that comes from sadness and anxiety. These feelings can become especially intense around the holidays. Even if the divorce is amicable or going smoothly, many people find that their negative emotions are exacerbated by "winter blues" or seasonal affective disorder. Whether or not you have SAD, don't face your grief alone. Reach out to friends and family when you feel the need for support. Make regular phone calls to loved ones, or set up coffee dates to meet with people you care about.
Start New Traditions
You may be living in a new house now or living with different people than you were a few months ago. Now is the time to start new traditions, whether that's attending a holiday-related event with friends or having a few loved ones over to your new home. Purchase a few new holiday decorations to reinforce the feeling of newness and possibility.
Be Giving with Others
Sometimes the best way to take your mind from off your own problems is stay busy and to focus on the needs of others. At this time of year, there are many charities regularly soliciting help from volunteers. Hospitals, churches, soup kitchens, and local non-profit organizations are all likely to need extra help from people in the community. Try to dedicate yourself to a charity or organization that has personal meaning for you, so that you'll want to stay involved even after the holidays have ended.
Keep Open Lines of Communication
A family law attorney, like Smith Phillip C Attorney At Law, is your ally and asset at this difficult time. To ensure that your divorce continues to go smoothly, keep the lines of communication with your lawyer open, and remember to follow his or her advice. You may have questions about interactions with your divorcing spouse, particularly if you and your spouse have children. Ask your lawyer about the best way to handle holiday events that may bring you and your spouse into contact with one another.