Divorce can take a tremendous toll on virtually anyone’s mental health. If you currently face the end of your marriage, you may feel a variety of emotions, ranging from anger to sadness. You are also apt to have strong feelings about your partner’s and your own future. How you cope with your emotions may make a tremendous difference on your divorce’s outcome.
Dissolving a marriage does not have to be an all-out battle. Still, if you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse plan to seek a collaborative divorce, you likely do not want your unchecked emotions to force you into court. Here are three ways to manage your emotions during a divorce:
1. Keep an open mind
When going through a divorce, it can be tempting to turn a spouse into the enemy. If you regularly reject your partner’s ideas or requests, though, you may inadvertently limit your options. You may also turn your otherwise cooperative divorce into an adversarial conflict. Accordingly, try to keep an open mind. By allowing some flexibility with your thinking, you may bolster both communication and collaboration.
2. Focus on the future
While divorces can seem to drag on forever, they eventually conclude. By taking a long view of your situation, you can better plan for the future. You may also avoid the sort of emotional bog down that often comes with fighting for the sake of fighting.
3. Be honest with yourself
There is nothing wrong with having an emotional reaction to your divorce. Still, if you let negative feelings, such as anger or resentment, derail communication, you may be asking for trouble. Therefore, try to be honest with yourself about both the way you feel and your interactions with your spouse. If you are being difficult simply to be difficult, you may want to rethink your approach.
You are likely to feel strongly about the dissolution of your marriage. That said, you do not want your emotions to put you in a worse position. By recognizing how you feel and taking steps to control your emotions, you increase your chances of reaching an amicable and acceptable agreement with your partner.
