Most people going through a divorce prepare financially but forget to do so emotionally. In addition to gathering your financial documents, listing your assets and debts, creating a budget and closing/separating bank accounts, it’s vital to get yourself emotionally ready for a divorce. If you don’t, you may make costly mistakes.
So, how can you prepare emotionally for divorce?
Grieve
Losing a marriage you thought would last forever can make you sad or angry, as you will be losing companionship, hopes, dreams, support and so on. Disregarding your feelings may not work to your advantage — you need to grieve.
However, you should do this healthily. A therapist can help you determine the best ways to grieve while healing.
Get emotional support
Spending more time with family and friends when going through a divorce can be significantly beneficial to your emotional health. You can talk to your loved ones about your feelings and can have fun with them when you don’t want to discuss your emotions.
Going to therapy and joining a local support group are also great ways to get emotional support.
Minimize your interactions
It can be challenging to prepare emotionally for your divorce when you are still constantly interacting with your soon-to-be ex-spouse. While it’s recommended to maintain an open line of communication, you should set boundaries. For example, you and your spouse can agree on when to communicate about divorce-related matters. You may also opt to use email, calls and texts to limit in-person interactions. Setting boundaries is crucial even when you and your spouse choose to remain in the family home until the divorce is finalized.
Preparation is a crucial step for those going through a divorce. Learn more about how you can prepare emotionally, financially and parentally if you have a child.
