Juggling your career and your pending divorce can be extremely challenging. Appointments relating to divorce can frequently take you away from the office, and your time in the office may be unproductive due to stress and a lack of concentration.
According to Dr. Joel Block, a New York therapist and professor who spoke with the London Free Press, “the strain of divorce leaves employees tired, overwhelmed and quite distracted.”
He explains that even when employees are focusing on work, “the focus is compromised by the distraction of surviving the divorce – will the children be harmed, will I have enough money afterwards, will I ever find love and happiness again?”
The attorneys at The Law Offices of Molly B. Kenny offer the following suggestions to help you balance your divorce and your job responsibilities:
- Set aside time each day to handle the divorce – Giving yourself an allotted amount of time to provide information to your attorney, research your options, or plan your strategies will not only make the proceedings easier, but will also make it easier for you to make work your main focus the rest of the day.
- Take care of yourself – Eating a well-balanced diet and getting plenty of sleep and exercise will help your body to handle the stress of divorce.
- Confide in a counselor or close friend – It is important to have someone that you can share your frustrations and feelings with. You want to avoid letting your emotions build up and releasing your stress and frustrations in the work setting.
- Avoid sharing details with coworkers – Discussing your divorce during work can lead to loss of productivity and further distractions. Additionally, this prevents you from being at the center of work gossip.
- Manage your thoughts while at work – As difficult as it may be, do your best to stay absorbed in your work. This will not only allow you to continue to meet your work requirements, but will give you a much-needed break from the turmoil in your personal life. Setting goals at work and focusing on how you can reach them is one way to distract yourself from the personal thoughts that can cause distractions.
