Sometimes, when your life is falling apart, the thing that helps you hold yourself together is something as ordinary as getting dressed. Not because a great outfit can solve your problems, but because sometimes you need a physical reminder of the person you are beneath all the stress, grief, and uncertainty. In this episode of Divorce Happens, Olivia Howell sits down with Tracy D. Galloway, Esq., M.A., a Massachusetts divorce attorney, litigator, online divorce coach and educator, and creator of Divorce Bootcamp, for a conversation about three surprisingly simple ways to support yourself when life feels impossibly hard. Drawing from both her professional expertise and deeply personal experiences, Tracy offers a refreshingly human approach to divorce recovery, emotional resilience, and finding your footing when you're not entirely sure what comes next. Tracy begins with a black blazer that belonged to her mother. During an extraordinarily difficult family crisis, when even her professional knowledge and access to experts couldn't fix what was happening, that blazer became a way of helping herself feel capable enough to make another phone call and face another difficult conversation. Then there's her favorite coffee mug, which reminds her that humor, imperfection, and self-forgiveness all have a place in getting through hard times. Finally, there's the pillow she recently bought herself, a simple investment in physical comfort and the feeling of being held. Olivia shares her own experiences of creating a comforting bedroom after divorce and finding unexpected solace in a stuffed bunny, while Tracy recalls the stuffed dog that helped her face a friend's funeral. Together, their stories explore something we often overlook during divorce: the small, tangible ways we can create comfort and care for ourselves when so much else feels beyond our control. But beneath the blazers, coffee mugs, pillows, and stuffed animals is a much bigger conversation about allowing ourselves to imagine a different life. Tracy talks about the years she spent in an unhappy marriage while raising young children and the limitations she once believed surrounded her choices. Her most important reminder is that feelings are not facts, and having a thought is not the same thing as making a decision. You are allowed to imagine leaving. You are allowed to consider new possibilities. You are allowed to think beyond your current circumstances without immediately changing everything about your life. For anyone considering divorce, navigating divorce recovery, single parenting, or starting over after a difficult relationship, this conversation offers practical self-care ideas and a hopeful reminder that you can begin taking care of yourself long before you have figured out your entire future. 🔗 Check out Fresh Starts Registry: The first & only divorce registry + support platform ➡ https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/ 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freshstartsregistry/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartsRegistry 🎙 Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/divorcehappenspod/ 📬 Magazine: https://divorceguidemagazine.com/ 💛 The Divorce Happens Community: https://divorcehappens.substack.com/
