If you’re like most people going through a divorce, you know that it’s tough to keep all of your feelings to yourself. Physicians and psychologists agree that it’s not good for your health, as well – but what are you supposed to do when your emotions threaten to overflow?
You could always keep a divorce journal. Many divorcés find that it’s an incredibly helpful way to sort through feelings and begin the healing process.
A Word on Dealing with Your Emotions
First, it’s important that you know it’s okay to reach out for help. If you’re having a difficult time coping with the changes divorce inevitably brings, ask your Newmarket divorce lawyer if he or she knows a local therapist who’s experienced in dealing with situations like yours; most people find that it’s helpful to talk to an impartial third party.
3 Ways a Divorce Journal Can Help You Cope with Divorce
Keeping a written record of the way you feel can be a great way to deal with the stress of divorce. You’ll be able to pour your feelings into the journal so you’re not carrying them everywhere with you. No, they won’t go away – but it will lighten your load considerably. There are other ways keeping a divorce journal can help you cope, as well:
- Sitting down to write (or type, if you’re particularly tech-savvy) forces you to slow down. During divorce, that’s incredibly important. It also forces you to focus on one thing, free from distractions, which gives your mind a bit of a break from racing all the time. (To learn more about the mental health benefits of writing, check out this study from the journal Advances in Psychiatric Treatment.)
- A divorce journal can help you visualize the journey you’ve been on as you progress. You can begin to recognize you own patterns, see how much you’ve grown, and look back to discover how much you’ve really learned throughout the entire process of divorce.
- You can write down specific events that you need to share with your Newmarket divorce lawyer. With all of the daily chaos divorce creates, it’s often helpful to have a written record that you can refer to when something important happens.
While it’s not a replacement for talking about your feelings with someone who cares, a divorce journal is a proven way to help you cope – and we can all benefit from taking advantage of strategies like that.
