The New Life After Divorce: Dating, Sex, and Relationships

We have all experienced a distressing break-up; however, divorce is quite different. Even though life after divorce doesn’t have to be miserable, you simply can’t sever ties overnight. Usually, the break-up runs its course, and that might cause untold pain. While no divorce is the same, there are similar stages that people have to go through before they are ready to date again, have a relationship, and get intimate. In this article, we’ll explore what’s it’s like to date, have sex, and get into a relationship after divorce. Let’s jump right now into information about after divorce life.

Get Over the Grief of Divorce

Are you wondering how long after divorce should you date? Don’t jump into the dating scene right after your divorce. No matter how resilient you may be, divorce will change you. Your priority should be to recover first. Talk to friends and family who are close to you about what you’ve been through. Find resources such as podcasts and books about relationships. You can also consider going for therapy.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re the one who initiated the divorce; grief will still be there. All these options will help you grieve without holding back the loss of your relationship. With time, once you’re healed, you’ll be ready to open your heart, without inhibitions, to someone new.

Really Move On

Dating after divorce feels like cheating, but it isn’t. You just haven’t gotten over your partner. To forget your ex, remove everything from your life that reminds you of him. That includes shared routines, habits, and items. For instance, if you used to go to the same gym thrice a week in the morning, either find another gym or change the time or days. In the beginning, it can be difficult to exorcise your old partner and all the memories you shared, especially the good ones. But you can’t start seeing someone else with the ghost of your former partner still haunting you.

Take Your Time At The Life After Divorce

There isn’t a definite timeline on when you’re supposed to start dating. Some people take weeks, others months, or even years. When you feel you are ready, dating sites can help you find someone new. However, if you’re not ready to get into a long-term relationship but prefer something casual, that’s okay as long as you let your partner know where you stand from the get-go. Rebounds can be healing and fulfilling in their own way.

Take advantage of that short-term pairing to do something you’ve always wanted, put your finances in order, take good care of yourself, and learn to be on your own and truly enjoy being alone. Once you’ve done all these things, and your emotional wounds heal, you’ll be ready for your next healthy and serious relationship.  That is the new stage when you can think about where to find love after divorce.

Besides, if you rush into looking for new love again, you might risk trying to replace the person you lost or left and end up in a wrong relationship. Or, you can find that you have transferred bad habits, resentment, and negativity from your previous relationship to your fresh one. To give your new relationship a real shot, it’s necessary to have a healthy pause. That will allow you to reflect as well as heal and ensure you want a new love for all the right reasons.

Practicality Over Romance

Divorce might be an eye-opener for you. Moving forward, you’ll less likely romanticize love. You’re more likely to realize this when you have learned from your divorce and recovered from the process. Realism will be a plus when you’re ready for a new relationship.

Be determined not to repeat mistakes of your past marriage, and this will require you to be more upfront about your interests and who you are. If you have kids, introduce them to the idea of you dating again even before you get into it. Once you plant that seed of possibility, they won’t be caught off guard when you introduce someone new into their lives.

Have Faith in Love Again

Divorce can leave you bitter and resentful towards love. You may even have resolved after your divorce never to fall in love or even get married. Such emotions might cloud your judgment and make you seek meaningless encounters that will only serve to confirm your lack of faith in genuine relationships.

What you need to remember is, it’s only your relationship that didn’t work—love never failed. Time will heal your wounds, and after you let go of such negativity, and regain your faith in love, only then is it advisable to start meeting new people.

Sex Isn’t Taboo

The period you wait to have sex after divorce will depend on the kind of relationship you’re looking for. If you just want something casual, you shouldn’t wait long at all. But if sex is really important to you, you might want to hold off a bit longer.

That said, divorce might shake your confidence in regards to sharing your body with a new partner. So, how do you overcome this hurdle and get your groove back? Post-divorce, your confidence may take a beating; you might feel rejected and way out of your comfort zone. But look on the brighter side, the problematic relationship and anything that made you feel trapped in that marriage is a huge weight off your shoulders. The best thing about coming into your own is that you can embrace that freedom and rediscover yourself. And, who knows, maybe it will be the start of the who can remarry after divorce question in your head.

Sexual rediscovery is an exciting journey where you can learn new things by researching erotic literature. Whether it’s reading a book or going online, don’t shy away from tapping into your romantic and even wild side. Also, learn about what turns off and on.

It’s imperative to communicate freely with your lover. Let them know what you like, perhaps share what you’d like to try. It’s also a good idea to give your partner some bit of direction if you don’t fancy anything. Communication will ensure you relish your sexual encounters.

The Takeaway

Life after divorce feels like an unchartered territory to a lot of people. Your mind is racing thinking about where to meet someone after divorce and how your sex life will be. Such radical changes and losing or leaving a partner can be a nightmare.

When it comes to after divorce depression, the secret is to heal, move on, and take time until you feel you’re completely ready to share your life with someone –when you feel that you can be able to fully trust and love again. More importantly, you’ll be ready when you feel you are a person worth getting to know. Have you been through a divorce, how was it for you? And have you been able to date, have sex, or get into a relationship? Please share your story with us.