3 tips for surviving a highly-emotional divorce

Ending your marriage can be highly emotional. While getting a divorce may be a legal and financial process, there is much more to it than dividing assets, determining custody and going to court. You may deal with a powerful rollercoaster of emotions before, during and after the divorce.

The emotional turmoil you experience throughout the process of breaking up can not only impact your mental wellbeing, but also the decisions you make. Your emotions may lead you to make costly mistakes. Here are some guidelines for making it through an emotional split.

1. Let yourself grieve

One common error is to fight your emotions and attempt to shut yourself down. While you may think this will help you focus on financial and legal matters, this strategy can backfire. To think clearly, you must let yourself grieve. Allow all the anger, sadness, fear, confusion and resentment to rise to the surface. This is the only way to truly deal with the emotions. Attempting to suppress these emotions will only complicate and prolong the process.

2. Ask for support

Receiving support from other people is necessary for the healing process. Do not let yourself fall into isolation. Reach out to family members and friends, and meet up with them frequently. Consider finding new friendships through community activities and networking groups. Think about attending a support group or seeing a therapist, if you need it.

3. Practice self-care

Caring for yourself must be something you prioritize and actively pursue. Set aside a designated time every day to improve your mental health. This may include going for a walk, spending time with friends, exercising or reading a book. Avoid using alcohol or drugs to cope. Develop a routine and maintain it to give yourself structure. You may even want to explore new hobbies and interests, so you can avoid dwelling on the divorce.

Divorcing your spouse can be hard, but you can work through it and come out stronger than before.