Organize: Make Room to Begin Your New Chapter after Divorce

Although your the end of your marriage may feel like your life is over, you might see it as a new beginning. Whether you wanted to divorce or not, this change can be an opportunity to reinvent yourself. However, if you feel like you don’t know where to begin, try cleaning! Cleaning is a way to cleanse your life, out with the old, in with the new.

Here are five things to organize after your divorce is final.

1. Clean out your closet. Cleaning is a good way to help you move on and also make some extra money. Many of your clothes are tied to memories. Get rid of things that have bad memories as well as items you don’t wear. Some consignment stores will pay you for your old stuff, and then you’ll have extra spending money for your new needs and wants.

2. Declutter. This is a time of rebuilding. Depending on how long your marriage lasted, you could have a ton of clutter, some things sentimental, some not. Have a garage sale, or look into selling stuff on Craigslist or the Facebook marketplace. Similar to the clothes, use the money to get new decor and reinvent your space. If you’re moving to a new home, use the opportunity to leave behind (give away) things you don’t need or want.

3. Clean out your emotional closet. This one is easier said than done. Emotions of anger, fear, betrayal, and sadness can linger. While these feelings are valid, if you hold onto them too long, they may hold you back! You need to acknowledge these issues. Talking to a friend or a professional counselor about these feelings can be therapeutic.

4. Organize a new budget. Your financial situation will probably change, whether you’re going from two incomes to one or returning to work after years at home. Embrace this. Create a new budget and consider selling the house. Figuring out your new finances may be challenging at first, but it will help you embrace your new journey.

5. Organize your divorce: attend Second Saturday Workshop. Our monthly workshops offer useful information at all stages of divorce. We bring in volunteer professionals who speak on all aspects of separation, including children during the divorce, financial issues, and much more.

Cleaning out your physical space and mental space will prepare you for a fresh start. Share with us: what helped you start over? Share your comments with us on Facebook or Twitter.