There is no such thing as a painless divorce. You’ve probably heard time and time again that marriage and married life is hard but what you may not know is that divorce is also very hard.

Many people think of divorce as the “easy” solution to their marital problems or that being divorced will make them happier. However, studies have shown that this is a myth.  Married couples who split up are more likely to be unhappy five years down the line than couples who stayed in their “unhappy marriages.”

Why the Grass Isn’t Greener on the Other Side

You’ll still be unhappy

Unhappy marriages and marital problems are almost always due to unhappy individuals. When you get divorced you take your issues with you. Divorce does not increase your self esteem or make you feel better about yourself in any way. In fact, the loss of social connections and the interruption of your parental role can damage your self esteem.

You’ll be broke

Divorce is expensive; it requires a lot of money, time and energy. Legal fees together with relocation costs and loss productivity at work are enough to put most people into a financial hole. This is why more than half of the people who live in poverty are divorced women and their kids.

You’ll be unhealthy

Divorce doesn’t even make you healthier. A study published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior found that divorced people are more likely to have chronic health problems compared to their counterparts who are still married. This is because when you lose a marriage to divorce, exercising, eating right and going to the doctor for checkups are the very last things on your mind. Also, the stress from divorce can accelerate the processes that lead to heart disease.

The reason why people think that being divorced is easier than staying in an unhappy marriage and working on their marital problems  is because of the greener grass syndrome. Sadly, most people don’t realize that divorce won’t make them happier, richer or healthier until they are divorced!