Keep your divorce from destroying your career

When your private life is in upheaval, it can be very difficult to keep your professional life on track. However, you don’t want your pending divorce to have a long-term negative impact on your career, so it’s important to be proactive about protecting yourself.

Here’s how to keep your divorce from doing serious damage to your career:

1. Let your boss know what’s happening.

You don’t need to give your boss any specific details of your situation — and you probably shouldn’t. But take a moment to step into your boss’s office and let him or her know that you’re going through a divorce. Explain that you may need to take time off to handle court dates and related issues, but stress that you won’t let your work fall behind.

2. Don’t make any emotional career decisions.

Have you ever drastically altered your hair when you were going through an emotional period and regretted it? Well, imagine doing something like that with your job. Don’t suddenly put in for a transfer request, turn down a promotion you’ve worked hard to achieve or make any other rash decisions about your career right now. You need a cool head when you’re mapping out your future.

3. Find a way to compartmentalize your pain.

It’s natural to feel emotional distress during your divorce. Anger, grief and frustration are common reactions to your marriage ending. Take some time off work, if you need to, in order to process your feelings away from the workplace. It doesn’t hurt to see a therapist during this time, especially if you want a safe place to vent.

Letting your divorce sabotage your career can make it much harder to recover your equilibrium once the divorce is final. The better you manage your emotions during your divorce, the easier it will be to get through the process.