A divorce is one of the most emotionally traumatic experiences you can go through, but for an empath who feels everything on a deeper level, it can be devastating. Taking on the emotions of those around you, including your children, family members, and even your ex, can leave you mentally and physically exhausted.
In order to start moving on with your life, you have to be able to separate your feelings from everyone else’s and begin working through them. The recovery process after a divorce can be lengthy, but if you’re an empath, there are some things that can help you along your healing journey.
Allow yourself to grieve.
One of the problems an empath often encounters is that they focus more on the feelings of those around them than their own. They want to take care of everyone else, usually at their own expense. Although admirable, don’t do this at the expense of your own healing.
The best thing you can do is to allow yourself the space and time to grieve. You can experience many different emotions during the grieving process, including sadness, anger, guilt, and even relief. Some of these emotions can be draining, and it might require you to seek support from a therapist to help you work through them.
Working and even performing normal household tasks may feel overwhelming at times. Whenever you’re able to, take a break. Don’t feel guilty for taking a personal day or letting the dishes pile up in the sink. Your mental health comes first.
Make self-care a priority.
When you’re so focused on taking care of those around you, it’s easy to put even the most basic self-care tasks on the back burner. Things like eating healthy, exercising, and getting enough sleep might seem unreachable. That’s one of the reasons divorce can increase the risk of early death. The stress, in combination with not taking care of yourself, is not good for the body.
It might help to have a “self-care buddy” during your divorce- essentially, a friend or family member who checks in on you to make sure you’re taking care of yourself. When your mind is consumed with so many big decisions, having someone ask “Have you eaten today?” is not only helpful, it’s comforting.
Set boundaries with your ex.
When you’re an empath, it’s very easy to get dragged back into an unhealthy pattern with your ex. You might be feeling so overwhelmed by the new changes in your life that your old life doesn’t seem quite so bad. Your judgment can get cloudy when you’re grieving, which is why setting clear boundaries with your ex are important.
They can no longer be the person you confide in. Doing so will have you taking on all of their divorce grief as well, which will push yours even further down the list of priorities. Keep communication with your ex to a minimum until you feel secure enough in where you’re at in your healing process. This may be a challenge if you have children together, but the more distance you can put between you and your ex during your divorce recovery, the better.
Lean on those around you.
When you’re experiencing the grief of divorce, having people around you to confide in is crucial, especially when you’re an empath. It might even be helpful to talk to other empaths who understand the struggles you are going through.
Being around those who listen to you and accept you can go a long way in the healing process. Be open to new people and new experiences as well. You might find that joining a divorce support group is beneficial. The more you invite joy into your life, the less heavy the negative emotions from your divorce will feel.
Honor your existence as an empath. Give yourself the space and time needed to heal from your divorce. Doing so will put you on the path toward recovery.
