When it comes right down to it, most people just want to be happy. Whether desperately trying to attain happiness or fighting to maintain happiness, we all want to embrace the moments when we feel joy and the people who bring that joy into our lives.
Unfortunately, many people spend far too many months and years struggling to find happiness. This may be due to financial or other life struggles or because an individual is stuck in an unhealthy or unfulfilling relationship or marriage. People often fear the unknown and are more inclined to stick with what they know, even if what they know makes them unhappy.
In a recent Gallup poll, more than 130,000 U.S. adults were asked questions related to their perceptions of overall well-being. Of those polled, there were noteworthy discrepancies between the reported stress levels of individuals who were married, separated and divorced.
More than 50 percent of separated individuals reported feeling stressed as compared to roughly 44 percent of those who were divorced and about 39 percent who were married. Separated women reported particularly higher levels of daily stress which is likely attributable to feelings of uncertainty about one’s life as well as possible negative financial implications associated with a separation.
Upon initially separating from a significant other or spouse, an individual is likely to feel anxious about their own future and that of their relationship. With nothing resolved or decided, an individual may feel as though he or she is stuck in a proverbial limbo.
When it comes to matters of the heart, emotions and feelings often triumph over logic. In many cases, an individual clings to the hope of what he or she wanted a relationship to be rather than what it really was. Yes, going through a divorce can be difficult. It also, however, provides an individual with an opportunity to start fresh and discover what truly makes him or her happy.
Source: The Huffington Post, “Survey Says Separation Is More Stressful Than Divorce, And Women Take The Hardest Hit,” Rebecca Adams, Nov. 3, 2014
