Divorce can be a scary and complicated process to go through. Once your divorce is final, when is it the right time to begin dating? I am a divorce mother of a special needs child. Here are three things I did after my divorce to help me to begin dating.
1. SEEK COUNSELNG.
Going through a divorce can be an emotional roller coaster. It is important for you to talk with someone to help you with deal with your feelings|. You want to be able to deal with any anger or hostility toward your ex-spouse before you will be able to move on with your life. The last thing you want to do is to bring old baggage to a new relationship. Counseling gave me insight on how I wanted to move forward with my life as a single parent.
2. GET TO KNOW YOURSELF AGAIN.
Being a wife and mother for so many years, I lost sight of the person that I once was. I forgot the little things that I like to do and all the things I liked about myself, so I begin to take myself out on dates. I went out to the movies and dinner. I had to learn how to be happy by myself. I also kept a daily journal. Although I didn’t write in it every day, it helped me with writing down my thoughts and feeling on what was going on in my life. I love looking back on it to see how far I have come.
3. BEGIN TO DATE AGAIN.
It’s Scary!! Dating has changed since I was single. Most of my friends are married so I had to find ways to meet new people. It was important for me to get myself back out into the world, so I could begin to find that special person. Singles group at church or online dating is a great way to get your feet wet.
Have fun dating. You should take the first few dates getting to know the person. Don’t go into it trying to make a love connection, just relax and enjoy yourself.
If you feel stuck on how to move forward with your life, we are here to support you on your journey re-discovering and loving yourself .
Dione Simmons, MA, LPC-Intern
Supervised by Brent Wolfskill, MA, LPC-S, SAP, LCDC, ADC
Transitions Counseling offers flexible scheduling hours to meet most client needs and budget.
Contact us today at 817-680-9218
