Dear Divorce Diary: A Fresh Approach To Healing Grief & Building A Life Of Confidence After Divorce

Why does setting boundaries after divorce feel so uncomfortable—even when you know you have every right to say no?
You finally tell someone what you need. Then the guilt hits. You reread the text, worry you were too harsh, and want to take it all back just to make that awful feeling stop.
In this episode, Dawn and Coach Tiffini share their experiences with boundary guilt, people-pleasing, and fear of rejection after divorce. Together, they explore why speaking your truth can feel so vulnerable and what helped them hold boundaries without needing everyone else to agree.
You’ll hear about:
 Why you may feel guilty or anxious after saying no. 
 How past relationships and attachment patterns can make setting boundaries difficult. 
 Navigating boundaries with your ex, at work, and with family—including adult children. 
 Beginning to trust yourself when someone is disappointed or doesn’t respond the way you hoped. 
Did you set a boundary and now you’re second-guessing it? Bring your “Was I too harsh?” moment into Cocoon. We’ll help you explore what’s underneath the urge to take it back.
👉 Join Cocoon
Support the show
Join Cocoon VIP - "The Room Where Support Without Guilt Happens"
For just $5 a month, you can access all thursday eps where we apply the concepts we cover on Tuesday. You will also be invited to attend monthly live workshops with Coach Tiffini and other exclusive content. Can't attend the live workshop? No problem! You'll get access to all the recordings plus handouts that help you DO the healing work you need!
Real Conversations. Real Regulation. Real Relief.

You’ve replayed the conversation, reread the text, and imagined every possible outcome. You know you need a break from your thoughts—but how do you actually get one?
In this VIP episode, Dawn and Coach Tiffini guide you through a sustained eye-gaze exercise to try when stress and overthinking after divorce feel like too much. Practice it with them, learn how to make it more comfortable, and discover ways to pair it with grounding support, like time outside.
Want more support? Join Coach Tiffini’s next VIP workshop on rebuilding self-trust, self-love, and your sense of identity after divorce. VIP members can also access workshop replays and handouts in Cocoon, including the recent attachment styles workshop.
Support the show
Join Cocoon VIP - "The Room Where Support Without Guilt Happens"
For just $5 a month, you can access all thursday eps where we apply the concepts we cover on Tuesday. You will also be invited to attend monthly live workshops with Coach Tiffini and other exclusive content. Can't attend the live workshop? No problem! You'll get access to all the recordings plus handouts that help you DO the healing work you need!
Real Conversations. Real Regulation. Real Relief.

You wake up already calculating: what’s in the bank, what needs to get done, and how you’re going to handle all of it. Then one small thing happens—and you’re crying on the kitchen floor.
How do you cope with stress after divorce when you’re overwhelmed before the day even starts?
Dawn and Coach Tiffini share their own experiences of looking functional while feeling anxious, checked out, and desperate for relief. They explore:
 Why keeping busy or constantly talking it through didn’t always bring relief. 
 How they could understand their patterns and still repeat them. 
 What helped them beyond their initial progress, including their experiences with EMDR, IFS, somatics, and homeopathy. 
 How they recognized healing before life stopped being stressful. 
Some things feel better, but you’re still overwhelmed? Join our free community, Cocoon, and tell us what you’ve tried and where you’re getting stuck. Find your next step at mycoachdawn.com.
Thursday in VIP: Practice a gentle eye-gaze exercise with us for moments of stress and overwhelm.
Support the show
Join Cocoon VIP - "The Room Where Support Without Guilt Happens"
For just $5 a month, you can access all thursday eps where we apply the concepts we cover on Tuesday. You will also be invited to attend monthly live workshops with Coach Tiffini and other exclusive content. Can't attend the live workshop? No problem! You'll get access to all the recordings plus handouts that help you DO the healing work you need!
Real Conversations. Real Regulation. Real Relief.

One text. One photo. One more canceled plan—and suddenly you’re mentally arguing with your ex while your evening disappears.
In this VIP episode of Dear Divorce Diary, Dawn and Coach Tiffini share four steps for handling emotional triggers after divorce: reaching for support, reconnecting through movement and nature, mapping your reaction, and choosing what you need next.
You don’t have to pretend it’s fair to respond differently.
COPY THESE PROMPTS INTO YOUR NOTES APP
Map the unfairness loop:
What happened?
What am I telling myself it means?
What do I notice in my body, and what do I feel pulled to do?
What do I need right now?
Turn the anger into a request or choice:
What I wish someone understood is…
One thing I can ask for or do today is…
For body sensations, explore what they mean to you rather than treating an online interpretation as a diagnosis.
PRODUCT MENTIONED
Aftershock flower essence from Freedom Flowers — we discuss our personal experiences with flower essences and homeopathy alongside the exercises.
Use code DAWN10 for 10% off all Freedom Flowers products.
BRING IT INTO COCOON
Share your prompts or one honest sentence in Cocoon on Heartbeat: “I’m working through a trigger, and I could use someone listening.”
Save these questions now so you have somewhere to begin when the next upsetting moment happens.
Aftershock Flower Essence
Support the show
Join Cocoon VIP - "The Room Where Support Without Guilt Happens"
For just $5 a month, you can access all thursday eps where we apply the concepts we cover on Tuesday. You will also be invited to attend monthly live workshops with Coach Tiffini and other exclusive content. Can't attend the live workshop? No problem! You'll get access to all the recordings plus handouts that help you DO the healing work you need!
Real Conversations. Real Regulation. Real Relief.

He gets the freedom. You get the bills, the responsibilities, and the healing work.
You have real reasons to be angry. But when you think about letting go of resentment after divorce, something pushes back: If I move on, does he get away with it?
In this episode of Dear Divorce Diary, Dawn and Coach Tiffini explore “poor me syndrome” after divorce—the loop of comparison, replaying conversations, and waiting for acknowledgment that can keep your attention fixed on your ex.
From a motorcycle purchase while struggling to pay the bills to a new fiancée requesting help with an annulment, we share the moments that made us think, “How the hell is this fair?” We also get honest about what happened next: protecting his reputation, trying to prove we were doing better, and wanting validation from the person who hurt us.
How do you begin making different choices without pretending what happened was okay?
We discuss:
Anger and resentment after divorce: what happens when his apparent freedom feels like proof you’ve been forgotten or replaced.
Waiting for an apology: why his acknowledgment can feel more important than support from anyone else.
Divorce grief: mourning the family, motherhood timeline, partnership, or retirement you expected.
Attachment and self-worth: the pull to feel needed, prove you’re fine, or keep seeking his approval.
Recognizing your triggers: a practical starting point for understanding your reactions without demanding that you fix everything immediately.
Moving forward while still angry: reclaiming moments of your life before you feel ready to forgive or accept.
Whether you’re rebuilding without children, carrying the coparenting load, or facing a different future with grown kids, this conversation makes room for both the unfairness and the choices still available to you.
START HERE
Notice one moment that activates the “this isn’t fair” loop. Save a quick voice note or write down what happened and how you responded.
As Tiffini explains: “I’m not asking you to fix it. I’m asking you to track it.”
PRACTICE WITH US ON THURSDAY
This week’s VIP episode walks you through a four-step process for responding to an upsetting moment: reconnecting with the present, mapping the unfairness loop, identifying what you need, and choosing one request or action.
Cocoon VIP is $5 a month, with access to Thursday episodes and a monthly workshop with Coach Tiffini, plus the replay and handout.
You can also join our free Cocoon community on Heartbeat and bring one honest question: “I know I’m stuck replaying this. Where do I begin?”
Find the community and VIP links below.
Support the show
Join Cocoon VIP - "The Room Where Support Without Guilt Happens"
For just $5 a month, you can access all thursday eps where we apply the concepts we cover on Tuesday. You will also be invited to attend monthly live workshops with Coach Tiffini and other exclusive content. Can't attend the live workshop? No problem! You'll get access to all the recordings plus handouts that help you DO the healing work you need!
Real Conversations. Real Regulation. Real Relief.