Divorce is one of the most dramatic life events any human can experience. It is also a necessary one if you realize a better life exists without your spouse despite the hardships. The benefit and pain of a divorce are not enjoyed or felt by you alone but impact many other people that you may or may not realize. Here’s a list of people in your life that will benefit from a better life if you decide to divorce.
Spouse
The first person that we will list is your spouse. Whether you’re the one who is deciding to end the marriage or the decision has been made for you, your spouse likely shares the unhappiness you are feeling. A divorce will help you both start the path to your new lives and allow for brighter futures instead of continued hard times.
Your children
Whether your children are small or grown, possibly with children of their own, a divorce impacts them. Quite often, children wrongly blame themselves for parents divorcing by feeling that if they had done something differently, their parents would not divorce. While many children feel this way, it’s far more likely that your children will benefit from a divorce. Those with children contemplating the end of their marriage often are not the best version of themselves. Even the smallest tasks spark arguments between the parents and can create a tense, frightening environment for a child. Although most parents feel guilty for the toll divorce takes on their children, the long-term benefits to your children’s’ emotional well-being far outweigh the cost. For these families, having two homes instead of one fosters a happier, more optimistic child mindset and allows for better parenting. With the right divorce attorney to teach you co-parenting counseling strategies, creating two households in which the children can thrive is better than one detrimental or even toxic household.
Your and your spouse’s parents
It is a universal truth: parents will care for their children and want to protect them even when their children become adults. If you are seeking a divorce, is it safe to say happiness has eluded you and stress has guided many decisions in your life? Your parents may or may not play a pivotal role in your divorce by assisting during the transition, but your parents will be happier and less worried when they see you shed the feelings and stress that have caused you grief beforehand.
Your and your spouse’s siblings
Siblings can be your best support system during the divorce and have a similar, but not the same, type of worry that your parents will have. Whether it is as simple as babysitting or lending a sympathetic ear, accepting help from a brother or sister will allow them to see you through to the better days. They will feel relief that you, and possibly your children, are not experiencing turmoil and unhappiness anymore.
Your doctor
The stress of a painful marriage undoubtedly takes a toll on the human body. The effects of the stress, even without physical symptoms, can create greater issues than removing the stressor. When stressed, the body takes action, which can be harmful to your long-term health. This is because your body believes the cause of the stress will be a short-term event. Living in a perpetual state of excess stress will likely cause long-term health concerns, and your doctor would be happier for your overall health if the cause of your stress is removed.
Your children’s teachers
Children who are raised in an unhappy atmosphere may or may not have academic or behavioral problems during their school life. Most children spend the majority of their weekdays at school, where their teachers interact with them regularly. These educators have a relationship with your children, which includes a concern for your child’s well-being. If you decide divorce is the best option for you, your children will likely benefit academically in the long run from two happier, separate households. This may also lead to less disruption in the classroom, allowing teachers to see and enjoy the stability and emotional wellness of their pupils.
Your and your spouse’s individual best friend(s)
Whether you know it or not, your best friend is likely just as distressed as you. Best friends often provide important emotional support if your marriage is failing. After providing you a sympathetic ear, your friend will be happier seeing you start a new life after ending a marriage that has caused you pain and unhappiness. The peace that comfort brings, as well as not having to be the emotional support for an unhappy friend, will benefit them in your divorce.
Your couple friends
Even if you are trying to keep your unhappiness a secret from the other married couple friends that you share, it should come as no surprise to you that your sorrow can impact the happiness of your couple friends. Seeing you and your spouse unhappy with your relationship often impacts the marriages of the couples with whom you and your spouse are friends. . While a divorce can cause such friends to choose sides in the battle, knowing that each of you are on the path to brighter tomorrows will eliminate the problem for them and, ultimately, make their lives easier as well.
You and your spouse’s boss and coworkers.
A divorce can have adverse consequences for your productivity both at home and in the workplace. Most likely, your boss knew of your unhappiness before now, and your work performance has already suffered. While the relationship between you and your boss is almost certainly not the same as that of your friends or your family, most bosses care to some extent about their employee’s personal lives. Even if the relationship between you and your boss comes down simply to productivity, it is a universal truth that happy employees are more productive employees. Whether or not your happiness impacts your work, there are likely brighter days ahead. You will increase your performance at your job by removing the stressor of a failed marriage.
It is likely your coworkers have noticed your unhappiness, as well. An increase in productivity can cause their performance to improve, too. In most cases, the quality of and/or quantity of your work can help the amount or quality of their work. Seeing improvement in your performance will allow them to perform better, making your coworkers happier.
You
It is very easy to forget that you, too, are a person and that you count as someone who will be happier if you walk the path towards a better life through a divorce. Thinking of others and not thinking of yourself is a key reason people avoid seeking or rationalize not seeking a divorce. Ultimately, you must do what is right for you and your long-term happiness.