The Truth About How To Survive A Divorce

Divorce is hard on everyone involved. No one goes into a marriage hoping that it'll end in divorce. That means part of it is accepting failure, learning from it, and moving on.

Granted, that's a lot easier said than done. How to actually get to the other side is a heart-wrenching process that can take a long time, but here's how I did it.

Find A Support System

two women reading a book on a picnic blanket
Photo Credit: Anastasiia Rozumna / Unsplash
Photo Credit: Anastasiia Rozumna / Unsplash

The hardest part for me was that I was in a battle against the person I once considered to be my partner and best friend. He was my support system and our lives were completely intertwined.

To survive our divorce, I had to replace that empty space with the friendships and ties that I had built elsewhere.

ADVERTISEMENT

Put Your Emotions On Hold

ADVERTISEMENT
woman with drawn smile and smudged mascara
Photo Credit: Sydney Sims / Unsplash
Photo Credit: Sydney Sims / Unsplash
ADVERTISEMENT

While all I wanted to do was either scream or cry at how I got here, I learned that I had to keep my feelings in check.

ADVERTISEMENT

I needed a clear mind to make logical and fair decisions on how to divide and separate everything we had build together. Plus, it helps to negotiate when you're not yelling at each other.

ADVERTISEMENT

Don't Blame Yourself

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Photo Credit: cottonbro / Pexels
Photo Credit: cottonbro / Pexels
ADVERTISEMENT

The worst thing you could do is beat yourself up. I spent hours crying myself to sleep wondering what I could have done differently to prevent this end.

ADVERTISEMENT

However, I realized that this was out of my control as it takes two to make a marriage work.

ADVERTISEMENT

Have A Plan

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
woman thinking with her laptop open in front of her
Photo Credit: Magnet.me / Unsplash
Photo Credit: Magnet.me / Unsplash
ADVERTISEMENT

While you don't need to have all the answers right away, I found it helpful to at least have a sense of what's next.

ADVERTISEMENT

I planned where I would move, and what I would keep. It gave me a sense of hope that everything was going to be okay again.

ADVERTISEMENT

Do Something For Yourself Each Day

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
woman meditating in the sun
Photo Credit: Patrick Malleret / Unsplash
Photo Credit: Patrick Malleret / Unsplash
ADVERTISEMENT

The trick to getting through a divorce is to take it day by day. It's hard to imagine how your life being flipped upside down will feel normal again.

ADVERTISEMENT

I took the time to do something for myself every day, no matter how small it was. It gave a sense of control in a time where I felt like I had none.

ADVERTISEMENT

Prioritize Yourself

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
woman playing with her hair in the mirror
Photo Credit: Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels
Photo Credit: Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels
ADVERTISEMENT

The number one priority is you, even if you're a parent, as you won't be able to get through this or take care of anyone else unless you're taking care of yourself.

ADVERTISEMENT

Plus, it'll make it so that you don't regret any of the legal or financial decisions you make with your ex. I figured asking for more was a good point to start negotiating down.

ADVERTISEMENT

Decide On A Financial Boundary

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
woman holding bitcoins to her eyes
Photo Credit: Thought Catalog / Unsplash
Photo Credit: Thought Catalog / Unsplash
ADVERTISEMENT

The truth is it's quite costly to go through lawyers. No matter how bad things got in your relationship, try to figure out as much as you can without the legal costs.

ADVERTISEMENT

If you can't, decide on a limit so you don't find yourself bankrupt and single in the end.

ADVERTISEMENT

Find Forgiveness

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
woman lying in the grass and hugging herself
Photo Credit: Diego Rezende / Pexels
Photo Credit: Diego Rezende / Pexels
ADVERTISEMENT

Every part of me felt like I hated my ex, not because I actually hated him, but because I was angry at him for making me go through this when he once vowed we'd grow old together.

ADVERTISEMENT

This anger hindered my healing and prevented me from making any kind of peace with the divorce. Only by forgiving him was I able to start moving on.

ADVERTISEMENT

Don't Show Him You're Hurting

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
woman sheds tears
Photo Credit: Luis Galvez / Unsplash
Photo Credit: Luis Galvez / Unsplash
ADVERTISEMENT

Maybe your ex is less toxic than mine, but the only way to avoid him taking advantage of my state of vulnerability was to not let him know of it.

ADVERTISEMENT

Even if I had to pretend it was okay, I made it clear that he could not influence the divorce to work out favoring his wants and needs over mine.

ADVERTISEMENT

Enjoy Your New Status

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
woman opens up arms at the beach
Photo Credit: Fuu J / Unsplash
Photo Credit: Fuu J / Unsplash
ADVERTISEMENT

At first, I didn't know what to do with all my newfound freedom. Then I realized I couldn't even remember the last time I could go on a girls' trip for a week straight and not even worry about checking in with someone else.

ADVERTISEMENT

Everything I did was now up to me and per my liking.

ADVERTISEMENT

Pack Up And Move

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
packed pink suitcase with shoes and sunglasses
Photo Credit: Arnel Hasanovic / Unsplash
Photo Credit: Arnel Hasanovic / Unsplash
ADVERTISEMENT

I had always dreamed of living on the west coast by the water but was held back by my husband's job.

ADVERTISEMENT

Since I was moving out anyway, this was my opportunity to relocate wherever I wanted and truly experience a fresh start. Plus, this way I didn't have memories associated with every place I went back to.

ADVERTISEMENT

Accept The Pain Won't Ever Heal

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
flowers attached with Band-Aids on woman's back
Photo Credit: Taisiia Stupak / Unsplash
Photo Credit: Taisiia Stupak / Unsplash
ADVERTISEMENT

This might be a hard pill to swallow, but the truth is no matter how much I move on, my ex will always be a part of my identity. We grew together, we shared a lot of history, and I wouldn't be who I am now without him.

ADVERTISEMENT

All I can do is take the best parts of our experiences together and use the rest as lessons, knowing that there will always be a little bit of him in everything I do.

ADVERTISEMENT

There's No Point In Stalking

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
looking at Facebook on laptop and phone
Photo Credit: Distel / Unsplash
Photo Credit: Distel / Unsplash
ADVERTISEMENT

The moving on process might feel like a competition, but it's not. Even if you find out they're already dating someone new, it doesn't mean that they're happy without you.

ADVERTISEMENT

Even if they are, that doesn't mean that you can't be too. It was hard for me to accept this.

ADVERTISEMENT

Don't Lose Your Dignity

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
woman looking down with wind in hair
Photo Credit: Motoki Tonn / Unsplash
Photo Credit: Motoki Tonn / Unsplash
ADVERTISEMENT

As much as I wished that I could just wake up from this nightmare and that everything would be back to normal, I refused to beg for reconciliation.

ADVERTISEMENT

Even if he was to accept, I would've just went back to an unhappy marriage, so what's the point?

ADVERTISEMENT

Divorce Is Like Grief

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
woman crying while being comforted
Photo Credit: Polina Zimmerman / Pexels
Photo Credit: Polina Zimmerman / Pexels
ADVERTISEMENT

The five stages of divorce are a lot like the five stages of grief, so be ready to experience denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

ADVERTISEMENT

You might not experience them in that order, and you might go through all five multiple times before you actually move on.

ADVERTISEMENT

Love Isn't Dead Forever

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
woman and man smiling while lying on the ground
Photo Credit: Gustavo Fring / Pexels
Photo Credit: Gustavo Fring / Pexels
ADVERTISEMENT

This might be a very far-out thought and you may not even want to consider it right now, but just because your marriage failed doesn't mean that you're now destined to be single forever.

ADVERTISEMENT

Once I was ready, I entered the dating pool again, and despite never believing I could fall in love again, it happened.