5 Steps to Getting Your Life Back in Control after Divorce

Guest blog post by Suzy Wood

Whether your friends are congratulating you or commiserating with you after you sign your divorce agreement, you’ve been through a grueling process.

It’s over, and you’re single, again.

There’s often a sense of relief, but you may also feel sad for the loss of a future with a life partner you thought you’d have, uncertain about how to co-parent, overwhelmed as to where to go from here, and concerned about finding happiness again.

Many women feel ashamed that their marriage ended, worried about what others will think, and guilty for raising their family from two homes. The truth is, it’s completely possible to change the perception of divorce into one that’s freeing, emboldening, and empowering. Going through a divorce is a calling card for getting your life back on track. It starts with figuring out what’s out of balance in your life. Those imbalances lead to stress and stress wrecks on our health.

Divorce Ranks #2 as the Most Stressful Life Event

 Your body most likely feels symptoms of stress from your divorce.  You might…

• have gained (or lost) weight and nothing fits
• be up at 3am and it’s not always because you have to pee
• crave all the wrong foods but can’t do anything about it
• *need* to start your day with caffeine and end it with alcohol
• feel overwhelmed about prioritizing everything you need to do
• have anxiety and second guess your decisions
• live a secret life dating because you haven’t told your kids yet
• want to exercise more but just can’t make it a consistent part of your day
• experience embarrassing digestion problems
• don’t trust anyone and don’t want to get hurt again
• want to have a good relationship with your ex but need firm boundaries to avoid falling in the same emotional potholes ​

These are all signs that your body has not healed from the stress of divorce and if left unattended could lead to serious complications in the years to come.

Why Is Stress from Divorce So Bad? 

It can lead to many physical and emotional symptoms such as anxiety, depression, food cravings, sleep problems, weight gain or loss, skin blemishes, thinning hair, chronic fatigue, internal inflammation, lack of motivation to exercise, and hormone imbalances. Living in this heightened “fight or flight” mode reduces your body’s ability to properly detoxify as well. Long-term stress can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease.

For me, my stress manifested as severe back pain. After months of sleeping in the basement while our agreement was being finalized, I couldn’t even take a deep breath without a bolt of pain wrapping around my lower back. It was impossible to sleep. With no energy, there was no chance I could be motivated to exercise. I was grumpy and snappy and struggled to get through the evening.

This went on for months, and I was a hot mess.

The Good News Is You Can Heal from the Stress of Divorce

I changed careers, went back to school, and became an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. I used yoga and meditation to alleviate my stress and get my sleep in a better place. While sorting out my career, home environment, and sleep issues, I was able to make better food choices. I made an effort to eat clean, whole foods. I reduced my consumption of processed foods and chemical ingredients, discovered what foods caused my sensitivity, and removed toxic chemicals from my personal care and home cleaning products.

This two-pronged approach of balancing my lifestyle and food choices allowed me to get my life back in control so I could thrive after the stress of divorce. And now, I do the same for others.

A qualified integrative nutrition health coach who specializes in dealing with divorced women can guide you in fixing what’s not working to a point where you feel fulfilled and can make good food choices. Not everyone will have the same limiting factors. That’s why a proper assessment is needed so the healing can begin. Everyone is different, and everyone will heal at their own rate.

Where Do You Start?

Click here to learn more about how Suzy helps women implement lasting health goals.

About Suzy Wood:

After my divorce, I left my career in high-tech marketing, became an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and opened True Wellness Within, LLC, where I help people get their lives back in control after the stress of divorce. With my signature TrueYou™ program, my clients discover how lifestyle factors affect their food choices. They learn how to reduce food cravings, lower stress & anxiety, make meaningful connections again, and find more balance as a single parent. If this sounds like something you need, please reach out to me at [email protected].

Here are some other blog posts that you may find helpful.

Celebrating the Holidays after a Divorce

5 Mindset Shifts to Ease Divorce Trauma

Starting Over Financially after Divorce

After Divorce Checklist: 10 Tips to Tie Up Financial Loose Ends