Divorce can generate a lot of different responses from other people. While most of the time it’s sympathetic, some people will start divorce shaming. If this ends up happening to you, there’s a few things you can do to handle this shaming…
Divorce Shaming: What To Do
Don’t engage
When confronted with divorce shaming, some people try and reply back. After all, if you feel like someone’s attacking your decision, then you’d want to stick up for yourself. They don’t know how difficult this kind of decision was for you. However, this isn’t a good idea.
Getting into an argument will just leave you feeling worse than before, even if you feel like you’re right. As much as you’d like to change their minds, it probably won’t happen. Instead, it’s best to ignore these types of people and don’t give them the time nor the energy.
Look for support
Even if you don’t engage those who are divorce shaming you, their words can still have a negative impact. You might begin to doubt yourself, and worry if you’re doing the right thing. When you notice this happening to you, it’s time to look for some extra support.
Your friends and family are the most immediate sources of support. They can really help you get your mind straight and not give any attention to those who doubt you. Plus, support groups can also be helpful for seeing how other people went through similar situations and came out stronger for it.
Get those feelings out
With how negative divorce shaming is, you’ll probably have a lot of unhealthy emotions building up inside. These emotions can really take a toll on your well-being, especially if they linger. That’s why it’s helpful to get these feelings out of your system every now and then.
There’s a lot of different ways in which you can do this. For example, maybe you can keep a journal and write your thoughts out each day. Or, maybe you start hitting the gym and really “work” those feelings out. Whatever you chose, it’s important to find something that lets you get those feelings out and begin to feel better about your future.