Show Notes
"I cannot do this." Three words. Three o'clock in the morning. New Year's Eve. That's how Sam told her husband their marriage was over. Messy? Yes. Necessary? Also yes.
Welcome to the very first episode of Divorce Awakening — hosted by friends and coaches Delia Monk and Sam Brindle, two Brits living just outside Barcelona who are using everything they've learned in their own messy divorces to help you walk through yours.
In this episode, you'll meet your hosts for the first time and hear: 🔥 How Sam's "divorced!" reveal became a lightning-bolt moment for Delia — years before her own marriage ended 🔥 Why your brain will fight you tooth and nail to keep you in something that isn't working (and how to over-ride it) 🔥 The Bali holiday from hell — proof that sometimes the universe needs a tropical backdrop to deliver the final nail in the coffin 🔥 The Excel spreadsheet that still haunts Sam's dreams (and the Great Air Fryer Betrayal of Delia's divorce)
If you've ever felt like you're white-knuckling your way through a decision your gut already made — this episode is your sign.
Listen now and find out: what's actually waiting for you on the other side...
More from The Divorce Awakening
A client says no. A triggering message lands. The kids are chaos and you haven’t slept. And suddenly your mind is off — you’re not good enough, what’s the point, why are you even trying. Sam and Delia have both been there. And over the last few years they’ve built a practice that changes everything. Not toxic positivity. Not pretending it’s fine. A real, repeatable way of choosing how you experience every moment of your day — even when life is doing its absolute worst. This week they walk you through it. All of it. 🔥 The step that happens before anything else — what Sam does every morning that wards of the spiral before it even gets started 🔥 Why your thoughts are not you — and the moment you realise that is the moment everything gets better 🔥 How to close the door on the inner critic — the exact words both Sam and Delia use when the voice starts up at the worst possible moment 🔥 What to do when you can’t find a better thought — and why asking what your best friend would say right now is more powerful than anything else 🔥 Why this works just as well for tax investigations, financial fear and divorce as it does for four kids and a pile of towels on the bathroom floor You are not the waves. You are the ocean. This episode is about learning to feel that — not just understand it. Listen now. Comment/share/follow us on: / delia.monk / sambrindlecoaching
Come and say hi to us on Insta! @delia.monk x @sambrindlecoaching In this episode, Delia and Sam explore the nature of anxiety, how it manifests, and practical strategies to manage and reduce its impact. They share personal experiences, mental models, and actionable tips to help listeners navigate anxiety more effectively. Listen to find out: 🔥 The first thing to do the second a spiral starts, and how to tell a thought from a fact when your brain is being very convincing 🔥 Why trying to get rid of anxiety for good can make it worse 🔥 How to find what’s really sitting underneath the worry, and the one question to ask once you do 🔥 The seesaw that explains why anxiety rises, and what to put on the other side 🔥 Why “just meditate” can be the worst advice for a noisy mind, and what gets you out of your head instead 🔥 The journal that rebuilds your trust in yourself, built from the times you were sure it was all over Keywords: anxiety, mental health, coping strategies, mindfulness, self-awareness, resilience, mental models, emotional health, stress management, personal growth Chapters; 00:00 Introduction to Anxiety and Its Impact 01:56 Personal Experiences with Anxiety 04:13 Understanding What Anxiety Feels Like 05:55 The Physical and Mental Symptoms of Anxiety 08:00 Sharing and Talking About Anxiety 10:05 Strategies to Recognize and Catch Anxious Thoughts 12:02 Building Self-Trust and Belief in Your Capabilities 15:01 The Role of Faith, Trust, and Hope in Anxiety Management 18:00 Practical Techniques: Breathing, Flow, and Presence 21:03 The Power of Reframing and Positive Mindset 23:48 Personal Stories of Overcoming Anxiety 27:07 The Importance of Sharing and Support 30:02 Next Episode Preview: Overcoming Suffering and Building Resilience
Sam had never lived alone before her divorce. Neither had Delia. And nobody really prepares you for what it’s actually like — the strange mix of liberation and chaos, the bad habits that creep in when no one’s watching, and the surprisingly complicated question of whether you’re actually lonely or just a bit bored. This week Sam and Delia get into all of it. 🔥 The first night in a new house — what it actually felt like for both of them and why it didn’t feel real for months 🔥 What happens to your habits when no one is watching — and the rules both Sam and Delia have had to make for themselves to stop the spiral 🔥 Why living alone is the ultimate test of self-trust — and what Sam did to become the person she actually wants to be when no one else is there 🔥 The difference between loneliness, boredom, jealousy and missing your kids — and why lumping them all together as loneliness isn’t helping you 🔥 Why living alone for the first time isn’t something to survive — it’s an invitation to design exactly the life you want when no one else is watching Also: an honest conversation about beer, cigarettes, late nights and bad habits — and the moment both of them realised that looking after yourself when no one is watching is actually the whole point. Listen now.
Sam lives around the corner from her ex-husband. They share the school runs, the sports weekends, the WhatsApp group. They went on holiday together this summer. And some people think that's a problem. This week Delia asks her about it — and Sam talks through what it actually took to get here, what the early days really looked like, and why she genuinely believes that the closer divorced parents can be, the better it is for everyone. Especially the kids. 🔥 What a child psychologist told Delia about the four levels of post-divorce parenting — and where a good co-parenting relationship sits on that list 🔥 Why being close to your ex actually reduces the chance of your kids wanting you back together — not the other way around 🔥 How Sam and her ex stay on the same page with four kids so there's no room for anyone to play one parent off against the other 🔥 The honest truth about how long it took to get here — and what she'd say to anyone who can't imagine it from where they're standing right now 🔥 Why any future partner would need to be completely on board with this — and why that feels like a filter rather than a problem This one is for anyone who's been told the way they're doing divorce is wrong. There are no rules. There is only what works for your family. Listen now.
This week on Divorce Awakening, Sam and Delia answer a listener stuck with an ex who won't reply to anything — not the after-school club form, not the budget question, not a single message.