If you’ve recently finalized a divorce and are looking toward the future, you’re not alone in feelings of concerns or anxiety that seem to be dominating your headspace. It can be difficult to see a clear path forward, but it’s during this uncertainty that we often find new strength, perseverance, and purpose.
If you’re newly single and can relate to any of the fears below, here are a few helpful tips to overcome these common emotional hurdles.
1. Financial Concerns
If you previously split the bills or your spouse was the primary source of income, managing new financial responsibilities can be an intimidating process! Even if you have a stable income, you’ll likely have to figure out how to pay certain bills, adjust your spending habits, or change how you pay your taxes.
Rather than dwelling on the complex changes, begin by organizing your budget and creating a financial plan of action. The best place to start is with a clearly defined worksheet outlining your income sources and expenses. After identifying the facts of your financial situation, you can consider your career prospects, sell some assets, or use your creativity to fill in any financial gaps. As you continue to take action, uncertainty will gradually be replaced with realistic solutions and independent financial control.
2. Loneliness
While grieving and managing other changes, it’s important to address a deep concern that many of us share. After a serious life change like a divorce, you must allow others into your life. Whether you strike up an old friendship or you sign up for a new community group, spending time with family and friends is a great way to dissolve the fear of being alone.
3. Effects on Children
If you’re a parent, it’s understandable to have concerns about your separation and how it will affect your children’s well-being. Instead of worrying about what problems may arise, maintaining a strong, supportive, and loving atmosphere is the key. Reassure them that the divorce is not their fault, and continue to show them that everything will be okay.
4. Changes After Divorce
Maybe you think you failed because the relationship didn’t work, or that you won’t be able to cope with the changes. Relationships end, but your life hasn’t. If you remain focused on what you can do to improve your situation, you may find that this temporary circumstance is the motivation you needed to flourish.
5. Unknown Future
Anxiety can be a crippling experience that makes it seemingly impossible to move forward. To help our clients overcome these very-real feelings of anxiety for the future, we help our divorce mediation clients define realistic future solutions to transform anxiety into optimism for the future.
If you are going through a divorce there is a lot of unknowns at hand. Let our professional divorce mediation team help you with separation choices, financial options, and post-divorce life changes. We are here to help the process be handled professionally by an unbiased third party to ensure you are taken care of.