Supporting Your Immune System Through a Divorce

It’s no secret that going through a divorce is stressful. Even the most amicable of separations aren’t always easy. Most people understand the effects that divorce can have on your mental health, including anxiety and depression, because you’re grieving the loss of something. 

But divorce and the stress that comes with it can also have an impact on your physical health. Stress can lead to a variety of health issues, including hypertension and heart disease. But, prolonged stress can also suppress the immune system, leaving your body vulnerable and weakened. That’s dangerous at any time, but in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more important than ever for your immunity to be strong. 

So whether you’re trying to protect yourself from the symptoms of COVID-19, the flu, allergies, or even if you just want to feel healthier, stronger, and have more energy, protecting your immune system through divorce is important. Let’s cover a few ways you can do that as you move forward with the next chapter of your life. 

Tips on Supporting Your Immune System Through Divorce

Make Healthy Choices

It might seem like one of the more obvious solutions, but taking care of your body is one of the best ways to support your immune system through a divorce. Exercising, for example, has many benefits when it comes to your immune system. It can help to get rid of harmful bacteria in your lungs and airways, and it can change your white blood cell counts and antibodies. Exercise can also cause the release of stress hormones to slow down, which will help to support your overall health. 

While it can be tempting to binge on Ben & Jerry’s and other comfort foods when you’re stressed, eating a healthy diet can also help to boost your immune system. It can also help you to manage feelings of depression or even low self-confidence that can also occur with divorce because you’re making an active, healthy choice for your body. 

Getting enough sleep is also essential to staying healthy. Most adults need anywhere from 7-9 hours of sleep each night in order to stay healthy. If you’re having trouble sleeping due to the stress that’s been brought up in your divorce, try to develop a nighttime routine, or use calming techniques like mindfulness, or focusing on positive mental imagery. 

By taking care of your overall health and making it a priority, you can fight back against stress, and the effects on your immune system that it can cause. 

Create the Right Space

While your living space can’t necessarily boost your immunity, you can create an environment that encourages you to stay healthy. If you’re living in the marital home, you might want to consider changing things up or remodeling in order to give yourself a “fresh start”. You don’t have to have design experience or a big budget to make powerful changes to your space. Even small touches can make a big difference, including: 

• Rearranging furniture
• Getting rid of items you don’t need/use
• Painting the walls
• Hanging new artwork

Keeping your space clean can also help to reduce stress and depression, and can keep your immune system stronger. For example, if you suffer from allergies and don’t take care of your living space, like keeping your shutters free from dust regularly, a weakened immune system can make your allergy symptoms worse. An unorganized, unclean space can also fuel your anxiety and depression even more, causing a vicious cycle. 

Focus on using the psychology of colors as you make changes, too. Using the right colors in different rooms of the house can have an impact on your mental health and may motivate you to take better care of your physical health, too. Blue is cool and calming and can be great for a bedroom if you’re having trouble sleeping. Yellow is cheerful and motivating, making it a great color for the kitchen to inspire you to cook healthy meals. 

Being Cautious During Uncertain Times

Although you should always be aware of your surroundings and how easily germs spread, it seems to be on everyone’s mind more than ever lately, thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic. If you already have a weak immune system, it’s extremely important to identify places where germs tend to congregate. But even if you’re healthy, you’re not completely ‘immune’ to getting sick. So take extra sanitary precautions in public places like: 

• Work
• Schools
• Public restrooms
• The gym
• The grocery store
• Daycare centers

While you don’t have to avoid these places or gatherings with large groups of people completely, being aware of how easily germs can spread can help you to make smarter choices. That includes washing your hands more frequently or using hand sanitizer. Being actively conscious of these things is just another way to invest in your health after a divorce and stay strong. No one is completely immune to getting sick. But, the stress from a divorce can easily weaken your immune system if you don’t take active steps to support it. Keeping these tips in mind will help you support your immune system through divorce so that as you go through this season of life, you can stay healthy.