Divorce is never easy or simple. It takes an emotional and financial toll on every member of your family. If you are facing a divorce, you may feel intense anger, sadness and even grief. Thinking about how to navigate the divorce process can be extremely stressful and overwhelming. Here are some tips for how to navigate this process and minimize the pain and stress:
1. Define your priorities: It is important for you to think hard about what is most important to you. Is that related to your custody agreement? Or perhaps keeping your home? One strategy is to write down the top three things that are most important to you. Thinking about this before you begin negotiations will help you focus and know what you can let go of. It will also be helpful to think about what your soon to be ex-spouse’s priorities are so that you can anticipate their wants and needs.
2. Develop your support network: It is extremely important to have multiple sources of support for yourself during the divorce process. This can be family, friends, co-workers, faith leader, and/or a professional therapist. Your support system can give you an outlet for the moments when you feel vulnerable and help you focus on your future, not the pain of your past.
3. Recognize that the process is just that: The divorce process may feel like a business transaction and that is OK. The truth is — it is. When you think about navigating the process it can be helpful to realize that it is normal to feel a bit odd. Focusing on the process like a business arrangement can actually help you cope with the stress.
4. Remember that you are laying the foundation for your future: If you made the difficult decision to divorce, then you likely have a vision for your future that is different from your present and your past. If you share children, make sure that you use the divorce process to find a way to compromise now so that co-parenting after divorce is easier. The tone you set now will lay a foundation for the future.
Minnesota Divorce Mediation Services
Johnson Mediation can help you navigate the divorce process from start to finish. We use divorce mediation to help you resolve the issues that you face so that you can finally move forward with your life. Our team understands how difficult divorce can be and will work to make it less stressful and overwhelming. Call us at 952-401-7599 to set up a time to talk.
