5 Tips to Help Your Friend Cope with Divorce

In this day an age, divorce seems to be more and more common. In fact, I think I know more people that have been divorced, then haven't. It's not uncommon to witness close friends or family members going through a painful divorce. While we want to be supportive, we may find ourselves at a loss of what to do or say. There's no easy way around it. While we may not be able to fix their problems we can offer our support and help them deal with the process. Here are five simple things you can do to help your friend cope with a divorce.

1. Listen. Going through divorce can bring on a myriad of emotions. Grief, loneliness and a sense of failure are very common. Let your friend know that you're willing to listen to them, even though you don't have any easy answers for them. Being able to talk, cry, rant or share their feelings with you can help them through the grieving process.

2. Don't hurry them through the coping process. You may end up making them feel worse by trying to rush them through. "You just have to get over it," or "He was a jerk, you're better off without him," is not something that your friend wants to hear. Their world probably feels in disarray. Their lives have changed drastically. Someone who they thought would always be there for them is gone. Telling them they need to just forget about that person is not only insensitive, but unrealistic. They need your support more then anything else. Going through a divorce is tough and it'll take them time to cope with it.

3. Get them out of the house. Don't let your friend sit at home and grieve over their lost marriage. Help them focus on something else besides their divorce. Invite them over to dinner or to the movies every once in awhile. Show them that you're there for them. They may be grateful for the distraction.

4. Don't push them into new relationships. They're not even done coping with their divorce, don't try to get them involved with someone else. In time, they'll be ready for another relationship but until they are, let it be. This can cause even a lot more turmoil if they have children also coping with the divorce.