Dating after divorce can feel confusing and exhausting, especially when you’re trying to do everything “right.” If dating feels rushed, draining, or simply misaligned, there is often a deeper reason.

In this episode of Divorced Women Dating, I explore how survival mode often shapes dating choices after divorce, and why dating from self-worth feels completely different. Many women overlook red flags, chase potential, or stay in situations that don’t feel right, not because they lack awareness or confidence, but because their nervous system is still focused on protection.

I unpack the difference between survival-based dating and self-worth-based dating, and how making that shift brings more clarity, calm, and consistency. I also address common fears around being alone or being labeled “too picky,” reframing standards as a sign of self-respect rather than rigidity.

If you want dating to feel steadier, clearer, and grounded in who you truly are, this episode will help you reconnect with your instincts and trust yourself again.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Dating After Divorce: Survival vs Self Worth

05:40 Survival Mode After Divorce and Its Impact on Dating

12:30 Red Flags and Choosing Potential in Survival Dating

19:45 Shifting from Survival Dating to Self Worth

28:30 Self Worth and Self Respect in Dating

38:40 Why Consistency and Peace Matter More Than Charm

48:10 Fear of Being Alone and Dating Standards

56:30 How Self Worth Changes Dating After Divorce

59:20 Journal Prompt: Survival vs Self Worth

Connect with Dr. Stacey Rose:

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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Divorce can leave you unsure of who you are once the roles you lived in for years fall away. In this episode, I talk about why it matters to pause and reclaim yourself before stepping back into dating. Why do so many of us move on quickly and still end up repeating familiar patterns? What changes when you stop looking for someone else to steady you?

I share how survival habits from marriage and divorce often follow us into dating without us noticing. Fear of being alone can push us to ignore what feels off or move faster than we are ready for. Reclaiming yourself starts with listening to your gut, taking responsibility for your emotional life, and learning to feel okay in your own company. From there, dating feels steadier and more intentional, and relationships begin to add to your life rather than fill something that feels missing.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Losing Yourself After Divorce and How It Affects Dating

02:35 Divorce, Identity Loss, and Preparing for Dating Again

04:30 Reclaiming Yourself Without Reinventing Who You Are

06:55 Survival Mode After Divorce and Dating Patterns

09:45 Listening to Your Gut and Taking Emotional Responsibility

11:50 Why Dating Feels Urgent When You Haven’t Reclaimed Yourself

13:55 Dating From Wholeness Instead of Waiting to Be Chosen

15:55 Why Being Rescued Is Not the Goal in Dating

17:05 Reclaiming Standards and Walking Away Without Guilt

18:30 Wanting Love Without Sacrificing Yourself

Connect with Dr. Stacey Rose:

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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

If dating after divorce feels urgent, I want you to pause and ask whether it’s time to rebuild your relationship with yourself first. In this episode, I challenge the idea that readiness is about timing and invite you to look instead at whether you feel grounded, steady, and able to trust your own instincts before stepping back into dating.

I talk about how divorce can quietly disrupt self-trust and lead many women to seek reassurance through dating rather than from within. I also share clear signs you may not be ready yet, along with practical ways to rebuild connection with yourself so dating feels calmer, clearer, and far more intentional.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Dating After Divorce: Why You Need to Rebuild Your Relationship With Yourself

03:45 Dating After Divorce: How to Know If You Are Really Ready

08:30 Healthy Dating After Divorce Starts With Self-Trust

14:50 How Divorce Impacts Self-Esteem and Self-Worth

23:40 Rebuilding Self-Trust and Learning to Trust Yourself Again

32:15 Signs You Are Not Ready to Start Dating After Divorce

42:20 How to Rebuild Your Relationship With Yourself Before Dating

54:10 A Journal Prompt to Clarify What You Want From Dating

58:30 Dating After Divorce as a Continuation of Self-Healing

Connect with Dr. Stacey Rose:

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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Why do we tolerate things in relationships that leave us feeling uneasy or diminished, and when does acceptance quietly turn into self betrayal? In this episode, I talk about how toleration often reflects where we are emotionally, especially after divorce, and why growth changes what we are willing to accept. I also talk about the difference between healthy compromise and harmful toleration, and how repeated self override can slowly erode self trust.

I break this down into three clear levels of toleration to help you get grounded. We look at what is non-negotiable, how core preferences shape compatibility, and where growth flexibility can exist without sacrificing your values. Along the way, I invite you to reflect on what you have tolerated in the past and what you may still be tolerating now. At the heart of this episode is reclaiming self-respect, ending betrayal of the self, and choosing relationships that truly support who you are becoming.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why We Tolerate Painful Relationship Patterns

02:21 Recalculating After Divorce and Getting Grounded

04:47 Letting Go of Judgment and Honoring Personal Growth

06:50 Compromise Versus Self Betrayal in Relationships

08:55 Non-Negotiables and What You Should Never Tolerate

11:30 Core Preferences and Compatibility in Dating

13:52 Growth Flexibility Without Betraying Yourself

16:14 The Three Levels of Toleration Explained

18:19 When Toleration Ends and Change Becomes Necessary

Connect with Dr. Stacey Rose:

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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Does your post divorce dating life feel uncomfortably familiar to your last relationship? In this episode, I talk about how unresolved wounds can quietly steer your choices after divorce and how you can begin to date from your values instead. I walk through common patterns I see in my clients such as overfunctioning in relationships, a pull toward intense chemistry with emotionally unavailable partners, and a tendency to say yes out of fear or scarcity, then I help you notice where those patterns might show up in your own story. Together, we explore what you truly want to feel in your next relationship and how to let values such as integrity, consistency, emotional availability and kindness guide who gets access to your heart.

My goal is to help you see where wounds have been calling the shots and to offer a clear path toward values-based dating after divorce so you feel more grounded, more confident and more honest with yourself. If you have ever wondered whether you can trust your judgment again or whether a different kind of love is possible for you, this episode gives you grounded language, tools, and a new way to think about every choice you make in your dating life.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Dating After Divorce: Are You Dating From Wounds Or Values?

02:22 How To Stop Repeating Past Relationship Patterns

06:49 What Values Based Dating Looks Like With A Healed Identity

11:41 3 Wound Driven Dating Patterns To Avoid After Divorce

16:01 Visualizing Your Next Relationship And Defining Core Values

20:05 Choosing Behavior Over Potential In Post Divorce Dating

26:54 Writing Your Next Chapter With Values Based Dating

Connect with Dr. Stacey Rose:

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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Divorce can make your whole life feel strange, like the identity you used to count on no longer fits. In this episode, I talk about how to reset your identity after divorce in a way that feels grounded instead of chaotic. Are you really starting over or are you standing in a hallway with the old door closed and a row of new doors in front of you. Who do you want to be as you walk through the next one?

I walk you through how your nervous system, your boundaries, and your daily choices shape your identity now, and I share questions that help you see yourself more clearly. Who are you when nobody needs you? What lights you up instead of draining you? I also guide you through a three column journal reset that explores who you no longer are, who you are right now, and who you are becoming, along with a central question to keep returning to: What does the next version of me need in order to emerge? By the end you have a kinder, more intentional way to reset your identity after divorce and to build a life that feels closer to who you really are.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why You Feel Lost After Divorce

00:46 The GPS Method For Healing And Grounding After Divorce

03:06 Moving Out Of Survival Mode And Into Your New Life

05:27 Have You Really Lost Yourself Or Just Turned Down Your Own Volume

07:52 Finding What Lights You Up And Feels Good In Your Body

08:58 Using Your Divorce As Data About Identity, Boundaries, And Needs

11:26 What Your Nervous System Reveals About Safety And Partnership

13:33 Visualizing Your Future Self And New Possibilities After Divorce

16:01 Three Column Journal Exercise To Reset Your Identity

18:22 What The Next Version Of You Needs To Fully Emerge

Connect with Dr. Stacey Rose:

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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Discover how your nervous system quietly shapes your dating standards after divorce and why learning its signals can change every choice you make.

In this episode, I talk about how your nervous system influences the people you feel drawn to and the patterns that tend to repeat themselves in your dating life. A regulated state helps you choose partners who align with your values. A dysregulated state can pull you toward familiar dynamics that feel intense at first but rarely support the kind of connection you truly want. Have you ever wondered why certain matches feel electric right away or why you keep ending up in situations that don’t serve you?

I walk you through simple ways to check in with yourself so you can notice whether you feel grounded or activated before you swipe, text, or head out on a date. These small moments of awareness help you regulate and make choices from clarity instead of fear. If you’ve been searching for a way to understand your patterns or rebuild trust with yourself after divorce, this episode offers a grounded path forward.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Understanding Standards in Post-Divorce Dating

02:57 The Role of the Nervous System in Dating

05:48 Recognizing Dysregulated Dating Behaviors

09:12 The Importance of Grounding and Regulation

11:55 Shifting from Survival Mode to Calm

14:50 Establishing Healthy Standards in Dating

18:02 Practical Techniques for Nervous System Regulation

21:04 Defining Personal Standards for Dating

Connect with Dr. Stacey Rose:

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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Ground yourself before you swipe, because clarity and calm are the real GPS for a confident post-divorce dating journey.

In this episode, I’m inviting you to slow down and get grounded before diving back into the world of dating. I’ve created a new framework to guide this journey - G for grounding, P for preparing for love, and S for stepping forward - and today, we’re starting with the “G.” Before you can move toward love, you have to know where you are.

I want you to ask yourself: How do I want to show up on a date? What parts of me feel most at ease and authentic? I share some simple ways to help you reconnect with your center - breathwork, movement, journaling, and setting intentions - so you can date with clarity instead of falling into old patterns or fear. When you’re grounded, you spot red flags more easily, you trust yourself more deeply, and you stop giving your power away to what someone else thinks of you.

Grounding isn’t about staying still. It’s about remembering who you are so you can move through your dating journey with steadiness, curiosity, and heart. I’ll leave you with a journal prompt to start that reflection: What helps me feel most grounded and safe in my body, and how can I bring that into my dating life?

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 The GPS Framework for Post-Divorce Dating

03:05 Why Being Grounded Matters Before You Date Again

06:54 Recognizing Red Flags and Staying Self-Aware

09:14 Simple Grounding Practices to Build Clarity and Calm

14:33 Handling Rejection and Rebuilding Self-Trust

16:18 Guided Grounding Exercise and Journal Prompt

Connect with Dr. Stacey Rose:

Visit Dr. Stacey’s website

Follow Dr. Stacey on Instagram

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm