Listen to this episode if…

• You feel like you're just reacting to whatever your ex or their lawyer throws at you

• You're exhausted, foggy, and making life-changing decisions while running on empty

• You can't tell anymore whether your choices come from your intuition or from fear

• You find it hard to speak up for yourself in mediation, in court, or even to your own lawyer

• You've lost a bit of yourself and want practical ways to feel grounded again

• You want to move from just surviving your divorce to actually flourishing through it

This podcast is general information only it is not legal advice. This episode touches on coercive control and post-separation abuse. If you or someone you know is in danger, call 000. For confidential support: 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732).

If you're feeling stuck in survival mode reacting to every email, every legal letter, every move your ex makes this episode is the deep breath you've been needing. Laura is joined by Sonia Bestulic, award-winning author, speaker and wisdom teacher, whose book Flourish for Mums found Laura right in the middle of her own divorce. Together they unpack what survival mode actually is, why so many of us get stuck in it, and how to gently move out of it.

00:00 – Are You Stuck in Survival Mode During Your Divorce?

01:00 – Meet Sonia Bestulic: Author, Speaker & Wisdom Teacher

03:50 – "I Just Burnt Out": How Survival Mode Shows Up

05:30 – Why Your Mindset Can Affect Your Case as Much as the Law

07:00 – What Survival Mode Really Is (Fight, Flight, Freeze)

08:00 – The Lion Metaphor: A Fuel System Built for Short Bursts

09:30 – The Warning Signs You've Been in Survival Mode Too Long

10:50 – When Post-Separation Abuse Is Designed to Exhaust You

11:40 – The Three Anchors & Building Your Support Team

12:40 – Anchor One: Nourishing Your Intuition (Your Sacred GPS)

14:50 – Coercive Control & Learning to Trust Yourself Again

15:40 – The Morning Body Scan: 15 Minutes That Reset Your Day

18:30 – How to Tell the Difference Between Fear and Intuition

21:30 – Anchor Two: Energetic Integrity & Energy Hygiene

23:30 – Inner Boundaries: What's Mine to Carry and What's Theirs?

25:30 – Choosing When to Read That Email From Your Ex

26:40 – The Power of Nature to Recalibrate Your Nervous System

28:50 – Gratitude: The Highest-Frequency Circuit Breaker

30:00 – The Gratitude Candle & the Kindness Squirrel

32:50 – Anchor Three: Sacred Self-Advocacy

34:50 – Speaking Your Truth Without the Fight Energy

36:40 – Why Energy Speaks First (Even in the Witness Box)

40:40 – Daily Practices: Dance, Laughter, Music & Breath

43:50 – The Cup of Gratitude Ritual

45:40 – The Roots Metaphor: The Deeper the Roots, the Taller We Grow

48:40 – The One Thing You Can Start Today

49:50 – Where to Find Sonia & Her Books

• 1800 RESPECT — 1800 737 732 (24/7 DV support)

• Lifeline — 13 11 14

• Police — 000 (immediate danger)

• The Divorce Course — www.thedivorcecourse.com.au

• The Divorce Course Empowerment Playlist — on Spotify

• Sonia Bestulic — books Flourish for Mums and Raising Empowered Humans: Unlocking Kids' Self-Leadership and Lifelong Flourishing (Amazon, global delivery). https://soniabestulic.com.au/