Retiring the Idea of Retirement After Divorce

The Divorce Is Over… So Why Am I Still in Survival Mode?

Three years since the divorce was finalized, and you're still grinding your teeth at night and apologizing for things that aren't your fault. What is going on? In this episode of the Divorced Christian Woman Podcast, Natalie Hoffman and Diana Swillinger tackle one of the most common and confusing questions from women who have finally gotten out: why doesn't leaving make it stop? Your brain knows the marriage is over. But your body hasn't gotten that memo yet. And even when it does, it's not flipping a switch for anybody. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation on survival mode after divorce, and it begins with understanding why you're still in it and what it's doing to your daily life. 🔑 Key Takeaways: * What did Natalie's nervous system do while she was sitting in a Sicilian villa on a dream trip, and what does it reveal about why you can't just "move on"? * There is a specific type of trauma that forms inside long, destructive marriages, and once you understand what it is, everything about your body's behavior starts to make sense. * Six survival patterns that might be showing up in your daily life right now without you even recognizing them as trauma responses. * Why the self-judgment you feel for not being "over it" isn't a character flaw. It's something that was handed to you, and tracing it back to the source changes everything. * Diana froze completely for two days after a single casual sentence in a conversation. What she chose to do about it is worth hearing. Related Resources: * Flying Higher [https://joinflyinghigher.com] is our live mentorship program for Christian women pursuing increased confidence in their relationships, emotional management, decision making, and self-development. Join us for live classes, coaching, Bible study, and book studies every month. Plus access to a huge library of education and coaching resources. Only $59/month.  * Be sure to check out Diana’s podcast, Renew Your Mind [https://www.dianaswillinger.com/renew-your-mind-podcast/]!  Do you have a question for the Divorced Christian Woman Podcast? Send me an email! natalie@flyingfreenow.com [natalie@flyingfreenow.com]

Post-Divorce Grief (Does it Ever Go Away?)

Today we get honest about the grief that shows up even when you know you made the right decision. In this episode of the Divorced Christian Woman Podcast, we’ll answer a real question from a Flying Higher member who's been circling back to her grief and wondering why she can't just move on. What we uncover might surprise you. It's not just about missing him. And it's definitely not something you can solve by scattering unity sand in a river. 🔑 Key Takeaways: * What you're actually grieving might not be what you think: Is it really him you miss, or is it something else entirely that you haven't let yourself name yet? * There's a hidden layer of grief that most divorced women never even look for, and it might be the most important one. * Dissonance is real: Can you grieve something you didn't even want? We have something important to say about this. * Is there a timeline for grieving a marriage? My answer might feel controversial, but also like the biggest exhale you've had in a long time. * Crying in the bathtub, journaling at midnight, lying face-down on the floor: what do these things actually do for your grief, and why do they work? Related Resources: * Flying Higher [https://joinflyinghigher.com] is our live mentorship program for Christian women pursuing increased confidence in their relationships, emotional management, decision making, and self-development. Join us for live classes, coaching, Bible study, and book studies every month. Plus access to a huge library of education and coaching resources. Only $59/month.  * Be sure to check out Diana’s podcast, Renew Your Mind [https://www.dianaswillinger.com/renew-your-mind-podcast/]!  Do you have a question for the Divorced Christian Woman Podcast? Send me an email! natalie@flyingfreenow.com

Learn How to Get Into Enjoying Your Free Time!

You finally have a Saturday to yourself. The kids are gone. The house is quiet. And somehow... you end up on your phone for three hours feeling guilty. Sound familiar? There is something happening in your brain that's worth understanding. In this episode, Natalie and Diana Swillinger dig into the science behind why divorced Christian women struggle to enjoy their own free time, and why the solution isn't a better to-do list. If you've ever felt frozen when you finally had space to breathe, this conversation was made for you. 🔑 Key Takeaways: * Why does your brain freeze when you finally have free time? There's a specific psychological phenomenon that explains the paralysis, and it has nothing to do with laziness. * Could the real reason you can't relax be hiding in a belief you don't even know you're carrying? * What's the difference between the women who learn to enjoy their free time and the ones who stay stuck, and which side of that line are you on? * There's a simple three-part framework that bypasses your brain's resistance entirely. Could this be the missing piece? * Diana and Natalie each share the personal practice they use to reconnect with what they actually want. Is one of them exactly what you need? Related Resources: * Flying Higher [https://joinflyinghigher.com] is our live mentorship program for Christian women pursuing increased confidence in their relationships, emotional management, decision making, and self-development. Join us for live classes, coaching, Bible study, and book studies every month. Plus access to a huge library of education and coaching resources. Only $59/month.  * Be sure to check out Diana’s podcast, Renew Your Mind [https://www.dianaswillinger.com/renew-your-mind-podcast/]!  Do you have a question for the Divorced Christian Woman Podcast? Send me an email! natalie@flyingfreenow.com [natalie@flyingfreenow.com]

When the Fear of Failure Stops You From Getting Stuff Done

What if failure isn't the problem -- it's the story you're telling yourself about it? In this episode of the Divorced Christian Woman Podcast, I take you through the first part of a class I teach inside Flying Higher. [https://joinflyinghigher.com] Let’s talk about the real reason failure stops us cold. It’s not the failure itself. It's the meaning we assign to it, the story we quietly tell ourselves about what it says about who we are. But there's something even harder to face than failing. It's the moment you break trust with yourself. These two things look alike but they're completely different, and once you understand the distinction, the way you relate to your own setbacks will never be the same. This episode draws from two lessons inside the Flying Higher program. [https://joinflyinghigher.com] Key Takeaways: * What does a toddler learning to walk have to do with your biggest setback? The answer will shift the way you see every failure you've ever had. * Carol Dweck spent decades studying why some people bounce back from failure and others don't. What's the one thing that actually determines which kind of person you are? * There's a critical difference between failing and breaking trust with yourself. Do you know which one you're actually dealing with right now? * Why does getting on your own case about not following through make things so much worse? It has to do with a part of your brain I call Myrtle, and her response will surprise you. * Two small daily practices can quietly rebuild your relationship with yourself from the inside out, even if you've broken your own promises more times than you can count. Related Resources: * Flying Higher [https://joinflyinghigher.com] is my live mentorship program for Christian women pursuing increased confidence in their relationships, emotional management, decision making, and self-development. Join us for live classes, coaching, Bible study, and book studies every month. Plus access to a huge library of education and coaching resources. Only $59/month.  Do you have a question for the Divorced Christian Woman Podcast? Send me an email! natalie@flyingfreenow.com [natalie@flyingfreenow.com]

The Question Divorced Women Keep Asking (And the Better One to Ask Instead)

Today’s conversation is a kick in the pants AND a permission slip, all wrapped into one. 🔑 Key Takeaways: * What if "I don't know who I am anymore" is actually the wrong question to be asking? Natalie and Diana reveal the reframe that changes everything. * Your roles as wife, mom, church lady, and caretaker were never your identity. So what IS underneath all of that, and why does discovering it feel so scary? * Is it actually selfish to turn inward and focus on yourself? The answer might flip everything you've been taught. * Loneliness after divorce feels overwhelming, but there's a surprising reason why resisting it actually makes it worse. * What does "living life to the max" look like when you're finally free? Natalie and Diana share their own answers, and they look nothing alike. HAHA! Related Resources: * Flying Higher [https://joinflyinghigher.com] is our live mentorship program for Christian women pursuing increased confidence in their relationships, emotional management, decision making, and self-development. Join us for live classes, coaching, Bible study, and book studies every month. Plus access to a huge library of education and coaching resources. Only $59/month.  * Be sure to check out Diana’s podcast, Renew Your Mind [https://www.dianaswillinger.com/renew-your-mind-podcast/]!  Do you have a question for the Divorced Christian Woman Podcast? Send me an email! natalie@flyingfreenow.com [natalie@flyingfreenow.com]