If you are newly separated from your spouse or going through the divorce process without finalized agreements in place, the stress of marital issues can dim the light of the holidays. Family is the focus of the season and the relationships you have with your loved ones shouldn’t be ignored even if you are feeling uncertain about your future.
Here are five tips to celebrating the holidays during a divorce:
1. Celebrate
Sticking to your family holiday traditions through a divorce is important to your psychological and emotional health. Taking part in holiday traditions away from your spouse may alter the logistics of your celebration, but you should make an effort to do it just the same.
2. Find a new tradition
While a divorce might leave some of your holiday time in limbo, you will also have the chance to establish a new tradition. A weekend you once spent with your spouse’s family could turn into a new tree decorating celebration with friends or a weekend spent sightseeing holiday light displays.
The relationship gaps or spousal disagreements you encounter during the holidays can help you shape financial and custodial arrangements through the divorce process.
3. Share the joy
Gift exchanges are a part of many holiday traditions. The joy you feel through giving gifts can have a positive impact on your emotional wellbeing.
As Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”
The positive feelings fostered through the holidays can help you be more resilient through your divorce.
4. Keep it simple
If you are separating from your spouse, you’re likely simplifying your home and finances. While the holidays may have you searching for positive emotional comfort, it is important not to go overboard with gifts and planning. As the saying goes – less is more.
Keeping it simple can help you avoid the stresses of over planning and adding more to your to-do list than you can handle.
5. Ask for help
The holidays are a time of goodwill, and many are willing to share in the comforts of the season. Don’t be afraid to ask for the help and confidence of a friend, neighbor, loved one or clergyman if the stresses of the holidays are too much to handle. These people can provide necessary emotional and moral support for you moving forward in a divorce.
When you’re ready to take on the legal challenges of divorce, it is important to seek the help of a caring, goal-driven attorney who will look out for your best interests. Divorce is a complicated issue, but you can get through it by appreciating the simple pleasures the holidays have to offer.
