Creating a Smooth Divorce Transition: Three Factors That Help Ensure a Healthy Split
While it is true that divorce often brings about a great deal of stress and emotional turmoil for the whole family, many divorces can be resolved mutually and peacefully with minimal damage to everyone involved. No one walks out of divorce entirely unschathed, but the overall impact of the negative effects can be significantly reduced when attention is given to certain key areas.
Encouraging a Healthy Divorce
The American Psychological Association (APA) has identified some of these key areas and has made some helpful recommendations, backed by an array of statistical references from various expert studies and surveys. These important suggestions from the APA can help you and your spouse navigate the divorce transition in a way that minimizes the negative impact on the whole family while allowing you to build a balanced foundation for the future.
The APA says the following three factors have large influence on the outcome of a divorce:
- Self-Care - The quality of your self-care during and after your divorce will play a big role in how well you cope and recover from the experience. Proper diet and exercise as well as adequate sleep are key when it comes to self-care, especially in the wake of an emotionally taxing separation. There is truth to the saying that in order to take care of others in your life, you need to make sure you are also taking care of yourself. Better self-care typically results in a better outcome of the divorce experience.
- Communication - Even if the current communication with your soon-to-be ex-spouse is shaky at best, it is important to at least keep the lines of communication on open some level. Doing so can help you mentally and emotionally. Be sure to talk with your support system, spouse (if possible), and a therapist. Your support network can consist of everyone from trusted family and friends to a formal support group recommended by your therapist. Good communication is one of the most important factors to address when undergoing divorce.
- Cooperation - For everyone’s sake, cooperation is a must when it comes to ending a marriage. When children are involved, however, it is imperative to pay extra attention to the effort to be civil in divorce proceedings. Divorce mediation is an excellent option that allows both parties to not only communicate their needs and concerns, but to also cooperate with one another, which in turn greatly benefits any children along for the ride.
There is no such thing as a flawless divorce, and each spouse will undoubtedly experience many personal challenges as they move forward with the process. However, it is possible to achieve a successful separation that results in a promising, positive outlook for the future. When you have the right resources and tools at your disposal by working with a knowledgeable Aurora divorce attorney, you increase your chances of experiencing a smooth divorce transition. Call the Law Office of Matthew M. Williams, P.C. at 630-409-8184 for a confidential consultation.
Source:
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/healthy-divorce.aspx