Recovering from Midlife Divorce – Step 2

This is part 2 of a series. Part one can be found here.

When recovering from divorce in midlife, one of the most important things you must do is take care of your health. Yes, I know, during the early days you can barely eat or sleep. And when you DO eat, you only want ice cream. Or chocolate. Or french fries…the really greasy ones with too much salt.

As the fog from the breakup begins to lift, please make an appointment to see your doctor. Sadly, for many people divorcing after a long-term marriage, the other party has had one or more affairs. You need to get tested for STDs. Yeah, I went there. It’s not something you want to think about, but the consequences of ignoring that elephant in the room can be huge.

While you’re talking to your physician, discuss how you’re handling the emotional side of your midlife divorce. You may need to consider the possibility of anti-depressants if you are stuck in deep sadness or some kind of sleeping aid if you’re surviving on just a few hours of sleep every night.

Next, look at your diet. Try to add fresh fruits and veggies to what you’re already eating, especially if your diet is mostly ice cream at midnight. You can find lots of free or low-cost diet plans online. During my divorce I used Weight Watchers online. Currently, My Fitness Pal is the app of choice in my family for tracking our diet and exercise. My daughter has been using it for awhile and she just convinced me to try it. You can learn more at the website here. The developers have created apps that are compatible with most handheld mobile devices, and you can even scan barcodes on most food items and have the nutritional information right at your fingertips!

And speaking of My Fitness Pal, you can also track exercise.

Frankly, I hate to exercise.

A lot.

No, more than that.

Even though I seriously hate to sweat, I did find that exercise really helped when I was tempted to throttle my soon-to-be-ex-husband as we proceeded through the divorce. Sometimes just a quick walk around the block or going outside to rake leaves helped me release my feelings of anger toward my ex.

Now, I find that I feel healthier and happier when I exercise regularly. Just not while I’m doing the exercises. So get out there and get moving!

Disclaimer:  I am neither a medical professional nor a fitness expert. Please consult your personal physician before starting a new diet or exercise program.