Putting yourself out there to date again after a divorce is scary. You are hurt, gun shy and the dating world as a whole has certainly changed.  It may have been 20 years since you’ve been out on a date or just 20 months. As tempting as it can be not to put yourself out there again, to give up on relationships or to be negative about finding someone to share your life with can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation.

No one ever gets married expecting their marriage to end but divorce happens. Couples can get divorced for any numbers of reasons. It could be that the pair simply found themselves incompatible and were unwilling to try couple’s therapy. It could be that there are issues of emotions or physical abuse or that a partner has been cheating. It could be that children are now in the mix and even though you once thought you were on the same page in raising them, your parenting styles are now drastically different.

No breakup is ever easy, but some breakups can make you feel like you’ve been sucker punched. And during those times, it can become sincerely difficult to see a way forward. Maybe your friends and family don’t seem to understand why you’re struggling so much, but you have every right to your feelings and your personal journey of mourning. (Because yes, you are allowed to mourn over a relationship!)

When it comes to relationships, it seems there is often a driving force behind the couple, or one partner who seems to always have the upper hand. This is often referred to as “wearing the pants.” The partner who “wears the pants” is the one most often in control of the relationship.

Whether it’s expected or sudden, losing a partner is always a devastating heartbreak. The finality of the loss of the love of your life, and the idea that you will move forward in the world without them by your side, might be one of the most difficult challenges you will face.

The older we get the harder it seems to make new friends. People are busy with their families appear to have full social calendar's and aren't always open to make time for new friends.

Middle age is also the time we tend to look around at our social circles. Are our friendships still there? Have we lost friends due to illness, a move, or divorce? Do we want something different out of our friendships? As we age, we tend to have less tolerance or energy for fluff friendships. We want substance and real, genuine connections.

Going through a divorce can bring the worst out of a couple that once promised to love each other forever. Your world might feel like it’s falling apart and your feel unsure about your future. Trying to co-parent when you’re struggling to simply keep going can be overwhelming, especially when it may feel like the ex disagrees with every parenting choice that you are making . Learning to co-parent won’t be easy, but it is possible. Bellow are five strategies that you can start employing now to help you co-parent with your ex.