During my long and abusive divorce sleep deprivation, stress, and duress were a part of my daily life. It became a vicious cycle. The more stressed I was the less I could sleep.
My family and friends voiced their concerns.
I was equally as worried.
But the divorce abuse my husband was inflicting was severe and I was struggling.
One day I was with my niece. It was an average day. We weren’t talking about divorce or my life. We were just hanging out.
Suddenly tears fill her eyes.
“I’m worried something bad is going to happen to you,” she says. “I’m worried about how much stress you’re under.”
Even now, it’s painful to remember the sight of my gorgeous niece in distress over my never-ending divorce. A young woman with a family of her own shouldn’t have had to worry about me.
I’ve learned a lot from the mistakes I made during the divorce.
I should have immediately initiated a plan and routine of self-care.
Divorce is the worst time to abandon ourselves.
If necessary, I should have enlisted family and friends to help me initiate a much-needed support structure in my daily life. One that promoted my ability to prioritize self-care.