When you’re going through a separation or a divorce, there are so many things to think about. Sometimes taking care of yourself is pretty low on your priority list.
If you don’t look after yourself though, you may find yourself struggling with other areas of your life.
Here are our 9 top self-care tips during divorce.
Lean On Your Friends & Family
Your family and friends love you – so don’t be afraid to lean on them when you need help or support.
Whether it’s dropping by with something for dinner, looking after your kids for a couple of hours, or going for a coffee with your bestie to offload, your loved ones will help you through it.
Prioritise Your Health
Self-care starts with making yourself a priority. Your health is crucial if you want to be able to tackle all the challenges life is throwing at you.
It might seem like a good idea to sit on the couch, Bridget Jones-style with a tub of Ben & Jerry’s cookie dough for dinner but, trust me, you won’t thank yourself in the morning!
Make healthy choices when it comes to food (as far as you can, we’re all human after all!), meal plan to avoid snacking on treats when you’re hungry and don’t forget to get some exercise too.
Get Enough Sleep
Try to get plenty of sleep each night.
Sleep helps your body reset from the day and when going through a divorce, some days can be super stressful.
Lack of sleep doesn’t just make you feel tired. It also leads to cognitive impairment, which affects your attention, concentration and ability to make good decisions for you.
Stay mentally sharp by getting enough sleep each night.
Do The Things You Love
While it can be devastating to find yourself suddenly single after a divorce, use this time to rediscover things that you love.
Get back into an old hobby or find a new passion in your life. Whether it’s gardening, swimming, golf or skydiving, do the things that you love to do.
This is a really important self-care tip that often gets overlooked.
Get Back To Nature
Spend some time in nature. Go for a walk on the beach, or through your nearest national park.
Getting back to nature is known to be a great stress reliever and can make you feel more relaxed and less anxious.
Take your dog with you too – they’ll love you for it!
Take A Digital Break
Everywhere we turn these days we’re being bombarded with information and advice: from the news and TV, computers and the internet, and almost every second of the day through our mobiles.
Consider taking a break from it all and having a digital detox.
Choose a time each evening to switch your phone off (or put it on silent), and stick to it.
You could even have a screen-free day once a week to really take time out from all the unnecessary noise in your world.
Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself
Remember to go easy on yourself. Give yourself a break and don’t be too judgmental.
You’re going through one of the most stressful life events someone can experience. Take time to recover, heal and move on.
It’s not going to happen overnight.
Get Counselling
If you want to speak to someone, but don’t want to burden your friends or family, or don’t feel comfortable talking to them, consider getting counselling.
It can be a weight off your shoulders just to talk to someone about what you’re experiencing and get some independent advice on how to get through it all.
Don’t Hate, Mediate
Family mediation can be a great way to get through a divorce without all the hate that so often can come with a separation.
It’s is an affordable and a quick way to come to an amicable agreement about how to separate and divide your assets and work out responsibilities for children.
Call Ian at Move On Mediation in Perth for a confidential discussion on how mediation can help you move on quickly.
Hopefully you’ve discovered some new self-care tips during divorce that will help you get through this period of your life a little easier.
