A divorce changes your life forever, into something you never thought it would become. It can induce the same emotions in an individual as losing a loved one. It is understandable that divorce would cause you to feel strong emotions. Continue reading to find the four stages of divorce, and how to manage them in the best way possible.

1. The World Seems to Have Come to An End

The main issue in this stage is that people have a challenging time accepting the fact that their marriage is ending. To get past this stage, you must manage your emotions and accept the reality of the separation.

2. You Experience a Multitude of Emotions

This stage is an emotional rollercoaster. You will notice yourself feeling comfortable, lost, euphoric, sad, enraged, and even lonely all within a brief time. The best thing to do to manage these emotions is to understand what your marriage represented, what your role was in it, and why it failed. This is not an easy stage of divorce, but if you deal with it correctly you will reap the benefits.

3. Your Identity Begins to Transform

At this time, you may feel confused and fearful. You are facing a major life change that you never anticipated you would be making. Marriage can be a form of self-identity and losing it can often feel like you are losing yourself. During this time, you must try to make the psychological change from “married” to “single.” It is okay if this takes time, nobody ever said it would be easy.

4. The New You is Discovered

At this stage you have finally accepted the fact that you are single again and on the road to a new lifestyle. You feel quite content with where you are at and do not dwell on the past experiences. You should now feel like yourself again and no longer let anxiety and fear hold you down.