Spring Cleaning for the Mind? How to Declutter Negative Thoughts After Divorce
The sight of blooming flower blossoms always prompts the itch to spring clean. While we may toss out our junk, scrub the floors, and dust the furniture, we often don’t take the time to declutter the negative thoughts that intrude in our minds daily. This is especially true for recently divorced individuals, who often experience loneliness, anxiety, guilt, and grief.
Here are three ways to declutter those negative thoughts just in time to welcome the change of the seasons!
- Engage in Self-Care
Self-care is perhaps one of the easiest ways to start decluttering negative thoughts after a divorce. We hear often about doing self-care, but what exactly is self-care?
Self-care is generally defined as doing anything to improve one’s mental health. This can be done in a variety of ways. It can be as simple as reading a book for an hour, or as complicated as planning a trip to Europe! Going on a daily walk, starting a new hobby, journaling, or even volunteering are examples.
Doing something for yourself as you navigate this new life post-divorce, can help ground you and declutter those negative thoughts. While these methods certainly won’t solve the problem, learning to take care of you fosters healthy relationships with yourself and others.
- Create and Spend Time with a Support System
Since loneliness is one of the most common feelings post-divorce, it’s important to spend time with others. Even more importantly is to create a support system to help you navigate the challenges associated with recent divorce.
Your support system can be a variety of people, including family and friends. Additionally, your support system might be comprised of people who recently experienced or have experienced divorce. Surrounding yourself with people who will be there for you might help to dispel loneliness and will provide helpful insight and encouragement.
- Seek Professional Help
Transitioning into a newly divorced lifestyle can be difficult. It can also trigger negative emotions, like anger, anxiety, grief, and guilt. Sometimes these emotions can be hard to deal with, and perhaps your support system won’t always know how to help you cope with these emotions.
In that case, it may be beneficial to seek professional help. Professional help can be the beginning of a support system and can provide you with a variety of resources to help this new life. Obtaining professional counseling from a psychologist, therapist or counselor can be VERY beneficial! With the divorce no doubt comes change. Understanding and adapting to those changes can be difficult. There is no reason to feel embarrassed or ashamed in obtaining counseling. We have published prior blog articles about the importance of obtaining therapy. Click here to read, “When to Seek Professional Counseling and/or Therapy During a Divorce Proceeding”, Or, for a bit of a broader blog titled, “A Post-Divorce Checklist” click here.
A spring cleaning of the mind can help in this difficult transition. By taking time to find strategies to declutter negative thoughts, you can begin the process of healing after a divorce. Be patient and kind to yourself. Transitioning to a new life after divorce takes effort and time!
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: I want to thank Mackenzie Reiber who just started externing with our firm for the Summer. Mackenzie is a second year law student at the University of Dayton School of Law. She will be graduating in May of 2023. Thanks for the great job on this blog Mackenzie!
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Attorney Robert “Chip” Mues has been focusing his legal practice throughout Southwest Ohio primarily in divorce and family law matters since 1978. Chip is passionate about family law and has proudly published the Ohio Family Law Blog since 2007. In addition, he is the managing partner of Holzfaster, Cecil, McKnight & Mues. To learn more about him or the law firm, visit the firm’s website at www.hcmmlaw.com. Appointments are available in person, over the phone or by Zoom. Call us at 937 293-2141.