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Mental disengagement

Jcksjj's picture

So the action part of disengagement is going fairly well - not trying to fix things or parent SD, spending way less time with her since she does an after school program instead of being babysat by me. It's made me a lot happier and less resentful since I dont need to bend as much of my life to suit her. I still find her incredibly obnoxious when she is around but its much easier to tolerate for shorter amounts of time.

The mentally disengaging part is much harder though. I still am expending way too much mental effort fixating on her behaviors, DHs reaction to it, etc. I still have quite a bit of anger about past incidents. Theres also alot of guilt about disengaging. Some fear too that I will be blamed when things go wrong. MIL is already blaming everyone else in the family for SDs problems (me and my son and the baby are taking attention away from SD and DH neglects her according to MIL) and I feel like other people will too because SMs tend to be the scapegoat. In reality when SD is here she demands everyone's attention so she gets a ton and her behavior was abnormal already when I met her. DH just didnt realize it yet because he wasnt around other kids much and she hadn't started school so he didnt get that feedback from her teachers. 

Anyone have any tips for dealing with the mental/emotional part of disengagement? How not to feel responsible for everything all the time?

Comments

tog redux's picture

LOL, I wrote a blog with the exact same title. So I'll step aside and let others give advice!

CLove's picture

Advice given to me - because I tend to fixate on things when my mind is not engaged with a host of other things.

Biggrin

Seriously. Get another hobby, or something else you can fixate on.

Jcksjj's picture

This is definitely true...I just need to find something that will keep me engaged enough that my mind doesnt wander back  Biggrin

Siemprematahari's picture

Tips on mentally disengaging...

  • Keep busy with your kids and focus solely on them.
  • Get involved in an activity or hobby that you have put off. If not, google and find something to keep you occupied.
  • Know and understand that your SD's behavior has nothing to do with you but everything to do with how she was parented by your H and her mother.
  • Do not entertain, believe, or even care what other people think or say about you.
  • You know what they say about opinions???? Everyone has them so they can go and kick rocks.
  • Anything that has to do with SD your H has to handle and if he doesn't, that's on him.
  • Also, in the end you just have to be indifferent about it all. You have to believe within yourself that the whole situation is irrelevant to you and doesnt define who you are as a person.
  • Not your circus, not your monkeys!
  • Make this your mantra EVERY single day if you have to in order to speak it into the universe and make it your reality.

Jcksjj's picture

Thank you! Probably going to be reading this daily for awhile until these things become habit.