Family Law

Take Care of You during Divorce

By Erin Kelley

During periods of high stress, many people unwittingly neglect to take care of themselves. Divorce can be one of the most stressful events in a person?s life and can lead to unhealthy habits.

If you are going through a divorce, it can be helpful to stop, take time to evaluate your habits and create a plan to take positive steps to protect your mental and physical health. This is especially important if you have children. You will need to be healthy and strong for them during your divorce.

Get Support

Family and friends can provide emotional support, but unless they have gone through a divorce and have felt the stress you are feeling, they may not understand. Friends may mean well but might not have a clue about what you are going through when they give you advice. A local divorce support group can be a good resource to meet with others with similar experiences and circumstances.

Exercise

Although it may be the last thing you feel like doing ? especially if you are feeling depressed ? exercise can be a wonderful stress reliever. Aside from the physical benefits of increased activity, working out can give you some peaceful time alone so you can leave your troubles behind for a little while.

Incorporating an exercise routine into your life can give you a more positive outlook and make you feel more energized. This may make you feel more able to tackle issues in your life.

Diet and Divorce

Stress causes some people gain weight, while others forget to eat and drop pounds quickly. It’s important to be conscious of your eating habits, especially during periods of high stress such as divorce.

If the stress of your divorce causes you to feel depressed and overeat, an exercise program may help you beat the blues and eliminate stress-induced eating. You may skip meals or forget to eat during your divorce. Get back into healthy eating habits to help make a difference in the way you feel. If you neglect proper nutrition, you may cause yourself health problems, which can increase your stress levels even more.

Full post as published by The Divorce Blog on February 26, 2009 (boomark / email).