Divorce glow-up is a real thing with tons of online blogs, magazine stories and even Reddit threads devoted to the subject. What’s a glow-up? It is the healing and self-care you give to yourself post-divorce or after any other major setback in life. You’ve had a period of grief, but now you’re finding the strength to rally. The good news is there’s evidence that major life changes knock us out of our day to day and push us into a higher level of functioning. It’s the time to take stock of ourselves and start fresh.
Here are a few suggestions of the ways to start reinventing yourself and looking at life through the refreshed lens of possibility.
Mental and Spiritual Health
Starting on a new path requires going within and realigning your emotional compass. There are some great resources around town to get you started.
Bloom offers women’s counseling, consulting and wellness for women and the LBGTQ community. They specialize in life transitions, postpartum, post abortion, birth trauma, miscarriage, still birth, infant/child loss, other Grief/Loss, fertility concerns, motherhood, empty nesting, later life transitions and meaning making. bloomwomenscounseling.com
Holistic Hands Native Toledoan Lesley Baker Bowen’s passion for wellness led her to found Holistic Hands Wellness Gallery. The creation of a community space that could offer a wide variety of healing services is a natural culmination of her passion for wellness and the work she’s done so far. “You don’t need to subscribe to any religion, belief system, background or ethnicity. These therapies are universal and can be applied in anyone’s life for wellness in both mind and body,” Bowen said.
Holistic Hands provides craniosacral therapy, massage therapy, crystal bowl sound therapy, meditation, reiki and more. facebook.com/HolisticHandsWellnessGallery
Recommit to Your Health
Exercise is a game changer. Even 30 minutes, four days a week can make a difference in your mood, quality of sleep, anxiety levels and mindfulness. Start with what you enjoy — walking, running, yoga or dancing. Exercise is also about paying attention to and getting in touch with your body, so find out what works for you and get into a routine.
Cyclebar offers an inclusive and inspiring low-impact/high-intensity indoor cycling experience for all ages, body types and experience levels. It offers a variety of classes, some focused on connecting to music while cycling, others are about strength and power, and a half-hour class that’s rhythm based and interval based. cyclebar.com
AJ Archery Coach AJ is as passionate as she is legendary in the Toledo area for her knowledge and skill. There are courses for every level from beginner through competitive. AJ even has classes in adaptive archery that can help with neurological issues like focus and concentration — adapting the bow for those who have various physical issues, or use a wheelchair. ajarchery.com
SolFood Collective Food Network-featured Chef Jaquelyn Jones brought her vegan brand SolFood Collective from L.A. to Perrysburg with a mission to help others experience the benefits that changed her life. Explore SolFood Collective’s website where there are tons of resources to help you get started or to stay on track with better food and lifestyle options. Order and pick up delicious ready-made meals. Jones also offers services like personalized meal plans and grocery tours. Digital books and programs are also available on the website. solfoodcollective.com
Makeovers
Reve Salon and Spa is a full service salon offering six kinds of massages from deep tissue to Swedish, and a comprehensive range of facials including the Essential Facial, Purifying Facial and Anti-Aging Facial. Spa Days are available for both women and men in addition to hair care and waxing services. You can even build totally customized salon experiences with add-ons like aromatherapy. revesalonandspa.com
Hobbies and Getaways
Spending a weekend on the lake or even hiking at any of Toledo’s spectacular Metroparks can really get you back to nature and out of your head. Toledo’s libraries are also a great resource. With a library card, you can take advantage of online audio books or use Kanopy — another online service for movies and videos on a range of self-learning topics. Courses on photography, cooking, writing, business and professional skills are available as well. toledolibrary.org
As Belgian fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg once said, “The most important relationship you will have is the lifelong one you have with yourself.” Being your best self is the ultimate glow-up.
