30 Ways to Jump-start Your New Life

By: Christine Hammond LMHC

Alex was desperate to move forward after her divorce was finalized. She was so tired of every conversation with her close friends and family beginning with the phrase, “So how’s the divorce coming along?” She wanted to talk about her, not her as a divorcee, but the person underneath the cloak of a bad marriage and a nasty divorce.

Her dreams, likes and dislikes, ambitions, and passions were as forgotten during the divorce as they were in the marriage. She felt swallowed up in her marriage by a dominant personality and then lost in the storm of her divorce. Tired of being tossed around by everyone else’s beliefs for her and about her, Alex wanted to claim her life back for herself.

But how does she begin? She tried to talk to her friends but they just focused on activities they liked to so. She needed to discover what she enjoyed on her own and then fold her relationships into that and not the other way around. Here are 30 ideas Alex used to jumpstart her new life after divorce.

1. Reflect and journal. This simple exercise which need not take any longer than 10 minutes a day can help to identify areas of interest and desire.
2. Spend time alone for a weekend. Always being surrounded by people can be distracting, go away for a quiet weekend alone to rejuvenate.
3. Go through closets. Hidden treasures of past joys are sometimes stuffed in the corners of closets and dressers.
4. Eliminate stuff. Like weeds in an untended garden, stuff grows when not sifted through. This is the time to get rid of anything that doesn’t bring joy or can’t be used in the next year.
5. Get a pet. Animals can be a source of unconditional love and support during a time when things are stressful.
6. Join a class. This is the time to take a yoga, dance, kickboxing, or other active class. Do something new or revisit an old love.
7. Learn an instrument. Music can be a great inspiration but creating music is soul feeding.
8. Bury the old life. Jumpstarting a new life requires healing, not denying, the old. Write a letter to your old life and burn it. This can be very therapeutic.
9. Stop listening to the voices. When a person moves forward, often the voices from the past become a haunting. Ignore the negative thoughts and they will go away.
10. Adjust morning routine. Don’t put other’s priorities first. This is often done by looking at emails or social media. Instead, use the morning as a time to start the day with your priorities.
11. Make bedtimes restful. Crashing into bed is not a good way to get rest. Instead, do a nighttime routine that incorporates peaceful activities.
12. Try new foods. Instead of eating from the same restaurants or shopping at the same grocery stores, change it up and try new cuisines.
13. Explore hometown. Do a staycation and discover hidden places of interest in your hometown.
14. Be adventurous. What do you consider to be adventurous? Do it, don’t just talk about it.
15. Take a cooking class. Learn how to make foods that are of interest, there might just be a hidden talent that has yet to be explored.
16. Join a wine club. Exploring wines from different regions around the world is like traveling there and picking up the unique flavors of the area.
17. Travel to new places. Travel doesn’t have to be expensive. Look into last minute deals with airlines, cruises, and hotels for special rates.
18. Learning how to meditate can help to settle the mind, body, and spirit.
19. Be present. Instead of driving somewhere, getting lost in thought and wondering how you arrived there, be present. Take a few moments to notice surroundings and breathe it in.
20. Follow a sunset. Remember chasing after rainbows as a kid? Why not do the same with a sunset and explore new areas and sites?
21. Take notice of seasons. Each season has its’ value: spring refreshes, summer grows, fall harvests, and winter rests. Take note of your seasons.
22. Reconnect with old friends. One of the best ways to start new is to remember past beautiful relationships. Look up old friends and connect with them again.
23. Read a biography. Inspiration can come from reading an encouraging story about someone of interest.
24. Visit a park. Outdoors is a great reset of the five senses. Staying inside can put a person in sensory overload causing them to shut down.
25. Be creative. Creativity comes in many forms: drawing pictures, taking a photograph, restoring furniture, sewing a pillow, building a shed, designing graphics, or customizing a car.
26. Get a certification. This could be something professionally or personally that enhances your life. Technical colleges offer a variety of interests.
27. Go to the farmer’s market. Sometimes the best place to start is to see what is available at a local farmer’s market. Each is unique to the area and culture.
28. See a live show. This could be a music concert, musical theatre, traveling circus, stand-up comedy, or sidewalk artists. Watching someone in person is far better than on TV or video.
29. Paint a room. Just changing the color of a room can improve the appearance and give a fresh new feeling.
30. Sleep better. Make it a point to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep. Inadequate amounts of sleep can make nearly every condition worse.

Alex used this list to try something new every day for a month which ignited several passions she had not considered in the past. It’s never too late to start again.

To schedule an appointment with Christine Hammond,

Please call our office at 407-647-7005.

www.lifeworksgroup.org