The American Psychological Association (APA) and, for that matter, your local therapist or counselor can offer you a lot of great advice to help you get through the difficult emotions associated with your divorce process. The fact is, everyone will experience some kind of challenging breakup at some point in their love lives, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with coping strategies.
In an article on the APA’s website, they mention some great tips that can help divorcing spouses cope in this regard.
How can journaling help you through your divorce?
California divorcees need to remember that feeling depression as a consequence of your divorce is normal. The most common emotional results of divorce mentioned by patients were: distress, depression, loneliness and loss of a sense of self.
The APA recommends that those going through a divorce combat their difficult feelings by focusing on the positives. A lot of psychological literature and research agrees with this strategy. Newly divorced California residents may therefore want to write down a list of the positive things they are enjoying as a result of their breakup and to focus directly on those while reducing their focus on the painful and/or negative consequences.
According to research, positive emotions are often involved as a part of most breakups. These positive emotions can be related to the way an individual grows personally and solidifies his or her sense of self and self-confidence after divorce.
Psychologists say that journaling will reinforce an individual’s focus on the positives. Researchers further noted that journaling about the positive points of a breakup is the key to this exercise. Those who journaled about the positives had a more positive emotional state than those who journaled about the negatives. Writing for 15 to 30 minutes per day for three days in a row is enough to start noticing these favorable results.
What are your divorce coping strategies?
When faced with difficult emotions associated with separating from your marital partner, as well as the other legal aspects of divorce, California residents need practical and easy-to-implement strategies to cope. Be sure to take an inventory of your divorce coping strategies, and if you’re having trouble emotionally, do not hesitate to reach out for help.