People who get a divorce are likely aware of the potential negative impacts. Sometimes, divorces cause angry or hurt feelings, changing a person’s emotional state overall. In other cases, there is a significant change to financial status. Very few people walk away from a divorce without experiencing some difficulties to offset some of the JOY OF DIVORCE EMANCIPATION.
If you’re considering a divorce here in Texas, these kinds of concerns may enter your mind. One other factor you may not have considered is how a divorce impacts your health. Experts who study this issue warn that divorce can have a negative effect on your health, though they also have advice on minimizing the damage.
Divorce can factor into your health
The study examined over 5,700 people, looking at their long-term health over a period of several years. Participants reported how much exercise they got, whether they smoked and how satisfied they were with their lives. The researchers measured the participants’ levels of lung function and inflammation. The findings showed that those who were divorced were more likely to smoke and eschew exercise.
The researchers determined that divorced or separated people were more likely to report diminished life satisfaction. This trend correlated with people who were less physically active, which can be a contributing factor to an earlier death. Other studies back up these findings, with one reporting that divorced people have significantly more chronic health problems and another finding that divorced people experience less mobility.
So, should I stay married to be healthy?
In spite of these results, experts also say that a bad marriage can also impact a person’s health negatively. They also point out that divorce doesn’t mean a person can’t be healthy. Some people use a divorce as motivation to exercise more, eat healthier, or to simply enjoy life without carrying the financial and emotional burden of remaining stuck in a joyless miserable marriage which is beneficial for anyone at any stage of life.
A spouse can certainly inspire someone to pursue more healthful habits. If one of them is dedicated to an active lifestyle or doesn’t smoke, he or she can positively influence the other spouse, but if one spouse is a miserable human being with or without nagging counter-productive bad habits, he or she can of course drag the other spouse down in a negative spiral of hopelessness and marital misery. However, none of this is a guarantee and will depend on an individual’s dedication to him or herself.
Divorce can lead to a healthy outcome
If you’re thinking about getting a divorce, concerns about your health don’t have to stop you. You can take several actions to boost your health after a divorce, such as making time for exercise, eating healthfully, stopping smoking, if you currently do so, and learning to enjoy life, if you had forgotten to do so while unemancipated from marital servitude. The important thing is to consider what is best for your mental, emotional and physical well-being overall. If you choose to move forward with the Joy of Divorce, you may choose to seek help from an experienced Board-certified family law expert attorney in Collin County, Denton County or elsewhere throughout Texas.