15 Practical Ways to Get Over a Divorce

Going through a divorce is never easy and it takes a toll on your health and wellbeing due to the stress you’ve been under.

Breaking up with your boyfriend/girlfriend is hard enough, what more for someone going through a divorce. Getting out of a relationship for whatever reason is always difficult and could turn your world upside down. You make feel restless and confused, and feel like crying all day. The pain of any relationship breakdown can sometimes be too much to handle.

But life has to go on. You must think of it as a chapter in your life that is going to be done soon. After all, the relationship you were in caused you so much pain, and you deserve to be happy again.

So, to prepare you for a new life ahead of you, we’ve got some advice that you may want to consider as you go through the rough phase in your life.

The first week:

1. Do some serious crying.

It’s normal to feel down after divorce, so to let out all your emotions, you can cry as hard as you want to release those pent up emotions of sadness, pain, anger, resentment, confusion and fear. Although you may opt to just ignore those feelings, but concealing these emotions will only prolong your grieving process.

2. Write them a letter.

Put all your thoughts on paper (or however you want it — on your phone, on your diary, on your PC) to better express what you’re feeling. Everything you felt like you haven’t said before can sometimes make its way through your writing. So, grab a pen or get your phone and start writing. You may also want to include in your letter some thoughts on how to make things better for the both of you apart in the future and wish them well as well.

3. Don’t do alcohol, drugs, or food just to cope.

Oftentimes, alcohol is a depressed person’s bestfriend. Some are stress-eating, while others are doing drugs to cope with this difficult time in their life. But try to cope without the help (if these are considered a help at all) of these vices. Just think about what these will do to your body once you consumed it all. Ask yourself: Will these solve your problem? Will these take the pain away? Try to cope the healthy way, physically and mentally.

4. Exercise like crazy.

Whisk those negative vibes away physically by exercising…like crazy! If crying won’t do, try punching in the air and kicking like hell. This way, you get to release the build-up of negative emotions.

5. Join a group.

There’s nothing more comforting than being with someone who has gone through or is going through the same experiences as yours. Having a support group can make things easier for you by sharing with them your feelings as they too can help you deal with it by sharing with you how to cope with this stage in your life.

The first month:

6. Get a mummy makeover.

New life = new you. So get a mummy makeover to help you face life beautifully. Get some facials, manicure, pedicure, everything that would make you glow. Just pamper yourself. After all you’ve been through, you deserve this.

7. Renovate, move or rearrange the house.

One way to move on is to shake things up around the house. You can either renovate, move or rearrange your house so you’ll no longer have any reminder of your stormy past.

8. Do some girly cliche stuff.

The time after divorce is usually your “me time”, so go shopping, girl! And by that we mean, shop for yourself…not for your family but for you!

9. Watch some seriously trashy movies.

Yep, you read it right. Trashy movies that would either give you a serious laugh or to get your mind to thinking: “What the hell did the director think in making this film?!” Well, these are actually to just get your mind off thinking about your present situation. At least you had a good laugh, right?

10. Get out of the house on the nights you don’t have the kids.

Have a fun night out, either with friends or by yourself, it doesn’t matter who you’re with as long as you’ll have a reaallyy good time!

The next month…and the next…

11. Plan out your new exciting future.

Contrary to what you’re thinking now (that you’re going to live a miserable life alone — but wasn’t your life with your ex more miserable? oh well), your future will be exciting. Yes it will be. You’ll get to meet new people in your life. So be ready to face it with more hope and optimism and start living a stress-free life.

12. Plan a holiday.

Yes you definitely need a time off! Plan your next holiday and go on an adventure of a lifetime. Go hiking, skiing, biking, trekking, or just about any activity that will renew yourself and bring back your self-confidence.

13. Spend some quality time with the kids.

We have to admit that in every divorce, it’s the kids who suffer the most. While going through the divorce, you think it was only you and your ex who were in a lot of stress, but your kids have their own share of that too. As a parent, you know it hurts to see them hurt. So after all that has happened, bond with them. Make them feel that though you’re physically not complete, you and your ex will always be their parents forever and will be there for them no matter what.

14. Find new interests. 

Living with your ex before, you always think about what interests you both (or sometimes what interests only him and not you). So now that you’re facing each day with just yourself, discover some new interests. You can even go back to what interests you before your life with your ex. Now, you can make it happen.

15. Make time each day to nurture yourself.

Finally, it’s high time to nurture yourself. Think about how you can be a better version of yourself. At the end of the day, what matters is how you live your life. Love yourself and keep a positive mind always.

What other ways do you know to get over a divorce?

Share it with us!