What to Get Rid of Post-Divorce
The time after your divorce can feel like you’re in an entirely new phase of life - and you are! But this doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Navigating through photographs, old clothes that remind you of them, and those old feelings can have an uncanny ability to take you back. While nostalgia has a lot of positives, restarting your life after a divorce may require a little bit of spring cleaning. Here’s what we recommend.
Get Ready to Purge These Items
From your wedding album to their favorite shirt from college, it’s easy to get wrapped up in an “everything must go” mentality. However, this can be a little difficult if you have children from your marriage who will likely want to hang on to certain pieces of their parents. Nevertheless, here are some of the most important things to get rid of when cleansing your home after the divorce:
- Your ring and dress/tux: this may be difficult considering the investment, but trust us on this one. You’ll want this reminder gone.
- Your first place: most people will say that moving out of the “divorce house” is the first major step in the right direction.
- Clothing that reminds you of them. Or any clothes and accessories with sentimental value.
- Joint accounts or anything you had together. These will likely be split up during the divorce proceedings, but you should also have an understanding of getting rid of these regardless.
Remember, it’s completely normal to have that box of old photographs from your previous life shoved in the back of your closet. But it’s not healthy to torture yourself with these things on a daily basis. Getting yourself in the right mental headspace to move on is just as important as getting rid of the physical reminders of your marriage.
Don’t Forget to Mentally Cleanse
Believe or not, spring cleaning needs to happen mentally too. While getting rid of the physical reminders of your marriage may help you feel some satisfaction, it won’t do you any good unless your head is in the right place. Here are some things you can do to get your groove back:
- Don’t be so hard on yourself.
- Take time to invest in the things that make you happy - like your children, pets, fun activities, etc.
- You may find it healing to connect with those who are going through similar situations. Support groups can be found on every social media platform.
- Release the negativity from your life - don’t be shy about getting rid of things with negative connotations (including friends).
- If you need to, see a therapist to discuss what you’re going through. This can make it easier to verbalize the feelings you may have.
Moving on after divorce can be mentally and physically exhausting for everyone involved, but doing what you can to cleanse your life of your previous marriage can be the first step in the right direction. If you need more support during your divorce proceedings, contact Schweitzer Law Partners to schedule a consultation. Our attorneys are available when you need us by calling (626) 788-5225.