You may have done everything possible to avoid dragging the divorce into the holidays, but unfortunately, here you are. This time of the year is supposed to be merry and bright, but that can be difficult while going through the emotional rollercoaster of a divorce. The good news is you can survive.

If you want to get through the holidays with both your dignity and sanity intact, you need to start formulating plans now. This is especially important if you have children together. Here are five tips:

1. Spend the Holidays Apart

If your marriage is ending, you should try distancing yourself from your spouse. Spending the holidays with your friends and family during one of the most intense, stressful, and highly emotional times of the year together will only lead to conflict. Instead, it would help if you both made your own arrangements for celebrating the holidays.

2. Stay Away From Social Media

This also applies to social media interaction. For your own mental health, you should avoid your spouse’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social pages. It might be tempting to see how they’re spending their time, but it can just lead to anger and resentment, especially if you haven’t fully healed from the split.

3. Formulate a Fair Way of Sharing Child Custody

If you have kids, coming up with a fair way for you both to spend time with them will be challenging. If this is the first holiday since your divorce or separation, it’s going to be really upsetting not to have your child around all the time, but remember that it’s what’s best for them. Try to be as cooperative as possible. You can work it out if you start early. And whatever arrangement and schedule you agree to, you should both stick to it.

4. Avoid friends You Have in Common

Being with friends you have in common over the holidays will only remind you of the divorce. They might ask you questions that you are not ready to answer, which can be painful to handle during your healing process. You can be courteous and polite, but you should minimize the amount of time you spend with your mutual friends.

Instead, it would be best if you planned to do things with people you knew before you met your spouse. It will help you take your mind off the divorce.

5. Create New Christmas Traditions

Don’t focus on the holiday traditions your family participated in while you were married. Take this time to think about all the things you enjoy about the holidays and create a new tradition to celebrate. It will not only get your mind off of your divorce, but your children will enjoy this as well.

Contact the Law Offices of Christopher L. Hoglin, P.C. today at (626) 653-4075 if you need legal assistance with your divorce.