Divorce Coach
Personal Finance Coach
When your marriage ends, it does not mean that your life ends.
Divorce has a way of shaking the foundation of who we are and how we see ourselves.
When the dust settles, many people going through a divorce (men and women) are left wondering: “how am I going to make it?” or asking the question: “Who am I now?”
After signing the divorce papers, your heart may still ache, you may still cry a lot, and you still may feel ashamed. My friend, all is not lost.
You can rebuild. You can love yourself again, and then others. You must know that your self-worth is not up for negotiation.
Divorce does not define you now or in the future. You Can Make It!
Rebuilding your self-worth after divorce is not about pretending that you are okay. Most importantly, it’s about healing emotionally and transforming your life into something beautiful. However, rebuilding does not mean rushing into a new relationship or rushing back into the world with a bright smile on your face. Time heals all wounds. It’s about working on your inner self and learning to love yourself again, through the lens of faith, grace, patience, and honesty.
After my divorce was finalised, I stood in front of the mirror not recognizing the woman staring back. Not because I looked different, but because I felt like I had lost the core of who I was. My confidence was really low, not by the breakup itself, but by many years of compromising, self-neglect, and emotional depletion that preceded it. Does that sound familiar to you?
The journey to rebuilding self-worth after divorce is not about reinventing yourself to be “bitter”—it’s about returning to yourself and beginning to love yourself to become a “better” person.
I want to share with you seven practical strategies that I utilised which helped me through my divorce recovery, along with helping several of my clients through their healing process. The advice given is very beneficial in helping you heal, recover, thrive, and love yourself again post-divorce.
- Honour Your Healing Timeline
There is no timeframe or schedule for healing. Whether you’re six months or six years post-divorce, give yourself permission to feel, grieve, and process. Your pace is your power. Don’t rush your comeback to please other people or prove anything.
- Reconnect With Who You Were Before Getting Married
Ask yourself: What things brought me joy before I started dating and got married? What passions did I put on hold? Reignite things that you probably forgot about (i.e. travel, hobbies, painting, movies, journaling, etc.). Join the fitness or dance class. That original version of you still exists—it’s time to spark things up and come alive.
- Be Kind To Yourself
The inner critic may be loud, but you can turn down the volume. Start by replacing “I failed” with “I made a courageous decision.” Divorce is not a failure—it’s a chapter that ended so a better one could begin. Write affirmations that speak life into your new season.
- Protect Your Peace and Set New Boundaries
Many people coming out of divorce feels like they must overextend themselves—to prove they’re still “together” or to avoid disappointing others. But rebuilding self-worth starts with saying no to what drains you and yes to what empowers you.
- Surround Yourself With Positive Professionals
Mental Therapists. Divorce coaches. Support groups. Uplifting podcasts. Affirming books. Find the voices that encourage growth—not bitterness. Rebuilding self-worth requires a support system that sees your light even when you can’t.
- Celebrate the Small Victories
Some days, getting out of bed and making a cup of coffee is victory. Other days, you may land a new job, reconnect with friends, or even smile without effort. Count it all. Each step forward is a seed planted in your healing garden.
- Define Happiness On Your Terms
No longer do you need to chase a picture-perfect life. You get to decide what a joyful, fulfilled life looks like now. That might mean solo travel, starting a business, going back to school, or simply enjoying quiet nights in your own space. You can define your own happiness.
Begin Again…Love Yourself Again
Loving yourself first after divorce doesn’t mean you’ll never feel lonely or uncertain. It simply means that you recognise your worth is not tied to someone else’s love, presence, or validation.
It’s yours—currently rooted in who you are and who you are becoming.
You’re not just existing; basically, you’re rebuilding.
Always Remember—“You Can Make It!”
When I wrote my book, You Can Make It: How to Start Living Your Victorious Life, I was writing not just from the lessons that I learned, but from the pain that I had survived.
The book was born from a place of loss—but also from hope. In it, I guide men and women through healing, rediscovery, transformation, and restoration. Not through hype, but through truth: that you are still valuable, still powerful, and still capable of joy.
You can make it, even if today doesn’t feel like it. You can smile again, dream again, and fall in love again, starting with yourself.
Read more articles by Dr. Anita Smith.
About Dr. Anita Smith
Dr. Anita K. Smith is a Life After Divorce Coach, Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI), Financial Advisor, and Keynote Speaker.
Dr. Anita is the award-winning, Amazon.com, published author of “You Can Make It: How To Start Living Your Virtuous Life.”
Dr. Anita works with individuals who are “single again” after divorce and help clients cope with change and uncertainty in their new life by using tools and techniques to transform, heal, recover, and eliminate pain, grief, and loss of the relationship or marriage breakup. She knows firsthand the effects and emotions of going through a divorce, and how it can wreak havoc on your life, and may cause you to experience health issues, financial issues, and relational issues.
Dr. Anita can help you regain your self-esteem and your self-worth. She will guide you, motivate you, and encourage you to become a CHAMPION AGAIN with practical solutions that you can implement right away to break free from a victim mindset and develop a warrior mindset. After working with Dr. Anita, you will recover, re-ignite, and rebuild your life AND finances after divorce.
Instagram: @dr.anita.k.smith
Instagram: @life_after_divorce_coaching
Website: lifeafterdivorcecoaching.net