The Importance of Positive Divorce Support
Your divorce support system should be a positive force for your family. Divorce is a painful challenge that is hard for any person to face completely on their own. Many in this situation have people in their lives that they can reach out to for support, whether it's through having coffee and conversation with a close friend or by spending time with extended family. Some of these people in your life may make great confidants and give helpful advice, yet others might just bring your down and make you feel worse whether they or you realize it or not.
Situations in which you sense that someone close to you is bringing you down are uncomfortable because you love them and probably appreciate their presence in your life. However, if they aren't helping to create a positive, supportive atmosphere when you're around them during this difficult time, it may be time to consider taking a break from these people for a while. "No matter what is going on, you are best served by those who will help you focus on YOU," says Karen McMahon. As a Divorce Coach, she helps men and women navigate the emotional challenges of divorce and supports them as they move in a positive direction forward. In this article, she explains her thoughts on how to detect whether your divorce support system is sturdy or rickety.
Divorce support can come in other forms than from just those close to you personally. There are divorce support groups across the country, and working with a divorce coach can also be a great help. On top of person-to-person divorce support, using the right tools can help you face the challenge of communicating with your ex-spouse or partner. This may come to be particularly important for co-parents who need a better way to stay connected in regards to their children without letting conflict infiltrate every conversation.
Since 2001, the OurFamilyWizard® website has provided co-parents with tools to help support them in keeping their communication peaceful and protecting their kids from conflict during divorce. OurFamilyWizard® provides co-parents with features to track parenting time and visitation schedules, manage shared parenting costs, send secure and well-documented messages, and much more. Co-parents can even invite their family law and mental health professionals to work with them directly through the website. When you can communicate more peacefully with your co-parent, you will be more able to focus on staying healthy and getting the support you need from positive people and resources in your life.