Divorcedivorce care packagemoving on after divorce

How I Learned To Let Go Of The Life I Thought I Would Be Living

How I Learned To Let Go Of The Life I Thought I Would Be Living
By 

Senior Lifestyle Reporter, HuffPost

If there's ever a time you need a little distraction in your life, it's during the divorce process. That's why we launched our Divorce Care Package series. With each post, we'll show you what things -- books, movies, recipes -- helped others relieve stress in the midst of divorce, in the hopes that a few of their picks will serve you well too. Want to share what got you through your divorce? Email us at divorce@huffingtonpost.com.

Four and a half years after saying "I do," mom of two Dina Strada found herself in the midst of divorce. Raising her kids as a busy, career-minded divorced mom was far from what Strada had imagined for herself, but she's persevered and life is getting better each day.

Below, Strada, who works in the entertainment industry, tells us more about her post-split healing process.
The Songs
YouTube
"In the beginning, I think I played Kelly Clarkson's 'Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)' roughly 100 times and I even made it the ring tone on my phone. As I started to feel better and wanted to feel more like myself, I started to play Pitbull's 'Time of Our Lives' and Flo Rider's 'I Don't Like It, I Love It' just so I could dance around the house or jam out on my commute to work. Both of those songs always pep me up because you just can't be depressed when you're shakin' your booty."
The Quote
Tumblr
"There were so many quotes and sayings I put up in my office and on my computer to get me through the worst days. But one that has really kept me moving forward and has been 100 percent true in my life is this quote by Deepak Chopra: 'In the process of letting go you will lose many things from the past, but you will find yourself.'Although it was difficult to let go of the life I thought I was supposed to have, I realized I had an opportunity to create something way better for myself. And the ending to my story is going to be 100 times greater than anything I could have ever envisioned just a few years ago."
The Book
Amazon
"I had read When Things Fall Apart by Buddhist author Pema Chodron once before, but the second time around, I really got it. She has so many great insights on fear, loss, suffering and heartbreak and incredible insights on how to reframe the pain and pass through it. It still sits on my nightstand when I need to be reminded that 'this too shall pass.'"
The TV Shows
The Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce Facebook
"'Orange Is The New Black' just for comic relief and Bravo's 'The Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce.' for the same reason. The latter is a great tongue-in-cheek comedy that follows a handful of divorced women and all the crazy antics and drama that comes with dating after divorce."
The Photo
Dina Strada
"Pictures of my kids kept me going. I have this one picture of the two of them together with their faces radiating pure joy and it cheers me up every single time I look at it. Just look at it! The photos remind me to just be grateful for the time I shared with their father because without him, I wouldn't have them."
The Splurge
Dina Strada
"Every month, I would buy a few small things that would make me feel better about myself, usually a new piece of jewelry or a cute outfit. But my biggest splurge was a trip to Kauai to do some healing work on myself. It was there that I met the most amazing group of friends who have been instrumental in helping me navigate my way through this journey. I am forever grateful to my best friend for the invite and to all of the people I met that week who are still a huge part of my life."
The Activities
Shutterstock / Evgeny Atamanenko

"Meditation, yoga and writing were my absolute essentials for getting through the darkest days. Meditation and yoga help me reconnect with myself daily and have led me to truths that were always inside myself but I wasn't able to access. And writing has been a passion of mine since I was a kid. I never made time for it before, but it became a means to truly express myself post-split. Writing is the one place I can be honest, vulnerable and real. What I often can't say in person, I am able to express in my writing. For me it's like air; without it, I can hardly breathe."

More From HuffPost:

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