Once you have made the decision to end your marriage for whatever reason, you will most likely feel a huge sense of loss. It’s like coping with the death of a loved one. You have to accept that this relationship you have been nurturing a large segment of your adult life has effectively died. Getting to the point of acceptance, however, is easier said than done.

The first step is joining your support network of friends and family. They are friends and family for a reason; because they are there for you. There is no better time than going through a divorce than to seek out the love and support of those around you.  This emotional support will help you open up and, over time, realize the situation for what it actually was, objectively. Because as they say, there’s three sides to every story, one of them being how things really happened.

Relying on your support network will enable you to improve yourself. It will give you the strength you need to employ the faculties to grow beyond this stage of your life. Beyond the emotional support, a strong support network will allow you to reinvent yourself, a very important step to post-divorce personal growth.

After having been half of a relationship over an extended period of time, you are now entirely your own person. Whether blindsided by the divorce papers or you’ve seen it coming to this point for years, you are now in this position and have to adapt accordingly. Keeping your mind from wandering and focusing on new hobbies, activities, interests allow you to constructively occupy yourself.

If your new interests include physical activity, such as mountain biking, hiking or going to the gym, this is all the better. Not only will these hobbies help you focus on something to keep your mind off the divorce, it you will make you physically healthier, improving self-confidence and esteem. You can also embark on new hobbies in clubs and organizations, always a great way to meet new people for whenever you are ready.

Staying physically and mentally healthy after a traumatizing event such as divorce is imperative to maintaining a happy lifestyle. Age is just a number and shouldn’t influence any decision standing in the way of your happiness. Keep on keeping on for your own sake, throwing yourself into your work or showing interest in new hobbies, really helps you focus on your continued personal growth.