As with any major life choice, the decision to divorce has both benefits and drawbacks. Only you can decide which one outweighs the other. Going back and forth endlessly, overthinking your options and asking close friends and family members for their input can get exhausting. It can also make you even more confused and uncertain.
Finding the best path forward for yourself is your goal. You deserve a happy life. Being mired in emotional limbo is neither healthy nor satisfying.
The big changes involved in getting divorced can admittedly loom large. You might need a new place to live, maybe co-parent with your ex, adjust to life as a newly single person and put old memories with your former spouse aside. Some of those memories might be fond ones. But it just may be the right time to create a major reset for yourself and begin fresh.
Divorcing may be the wisest thing to do
Trying to examine this situation objectively is tough. Nevertheless, stand back and think about it with this advice in mind:
- Couples frequently put off divorcing because they have children. That usually does not work. Your kids sense that the two of you are not happy together anymore. That may be making them unhappy, too.
- The vows you took at the altar were meant to last a lifetime. Sometimes, however, that is not realistic. Remind yourself that you did the best you could for as long as possible, even if it fell short of forever.
- Don’t let others’ opinions dictate your behavior. With good intentions, they may urge the two of you to stay together for the sake of staying together. That isn’t enough of a rationale not to end a marriage that is way beyond its prime.
- If both of you ever want to get back together someday, you can.
Your heart will tell you when it’s time to walk away from your marriage. The divorce process isn’t easy, but it is absolutely survivable. You may eventually find yourself looking to the future with more hope and anticipation than you ever thought possible.