Surviving Divorce At Work And Beyond

By Rene Woods

Divorce is a stressful, traumatic event that impacts every aspect of a person's life. Emotionally, the loss is very similar to experiencing the death of a loved one. Men or women going through a marriage breakup will find that it affects everything from their other relationships to their workplace performance. Fortunately, there are many ways to lessen divorce's impact, and help keep your body and mind healthy during the grieving and recovery process.

While it may be tempting to take to your bed and wallow in self-pity for several months after a divorce, that's neither productive nor, for most people, very practical. It just adds stress to your life. Life goes on and we must drag ourselves to work to pay the bills. The sooner a person can resume or adopt healthy habits and routines, the sooner their lives and their work will be back on the road to normalcy.

The simplest way to care for yourself  and release stress during a divorce is to make sure you get enough exercise. Commit to a regular fitness routine: join a gym, take a daily 20-minute walk before or after work, ride your bike around the neighborhood, or challenge a friend to a tennis match. No matter what shape you're in, you can always participate in some level of physical activity.

Exercise increases your body's production of "feel-good" hormones and reduces the body's stress response. It gives you much-needed meditation time to concentrate on your activity. Regular physical activity is also the best sleeping pill around. It helps you get a good night's rest at a time when your body needs it the most.

Although it is sometimes hard to muster up the energy to prepare a good meal when going through a divorce, eating healthily is another important way to help your body fight stress. Instead of dining out, invite a co-worker over to share a home-cooked meal. Healthy foods will put less stress on your body! It may also be helpful to take vitamin supplements to ensure that your body is receiving all the nutrients it needs.

If you're doing your best to keep yourself healthy during a divorce and are still struggling with your emotions, talking them over with a competent, compassionate therapist will help you get them under control.

Divorce is difficult and causes stress, but you don't have to be alone. Even sharing your feelings with a supportive friend can be helpful. Sometimes, just having someone who's willing to listen is the best therapy around to relieve that stress.

A divorce can be devastating, but taking good care of yourself during and after the process will go a long way towards ensuring a faster recovery and a promising future.