Lessen the stress of a holiday divorce

Going through a divorce during the holiday season is something that isn’t easy. If you have children, you have to think about how to make the holidays easier for them. Whether or not you have children, your emotions are probably raw.

The fact of the matter is that the holiday season can make people emotional, even if they don’t have a divorce looming. The nostalgia of the season and the meaning of the season often make people long for love and tradition. When you are going through a divorce around the holidays, everything seems to change.

One thing that you can do to make the holiday season easier is decide on some new traditions. This can help you to find a new normal during the holidays. If you have children, they might enjoy the thought of having a new tradition with you. Try to think of a meaningful tradition.

Some families might decide to keep the family holiday tradition alive by having you and your ex spend the holiday with the family. It is vital that you make it clear that you aren’t going to stay together or get back together even though you are spending the holidays together.

As you venture through the holiday season, make sure that you take the time to deal with the feelings that creep up. Sadness and depression might occur. Dealing with those feelings as they come up can help you to better deal with starting your new life.

You can also reduce the stress of a holiday divorce by knowing what to expect during the divorce. If you are prepared and have realistic expectations, the divorce might not stress you out as much. That can make dealing the normal holiday insanity a little bit easier.

Source: Bradley Hospital, “Dealing with Divorce During the Holidays,” accessed Nov. 13, 2015