This ending is really hard, isn’t it?
The ending of a relationship, or a divorce, is one of life’s most challenging transitions — and when it happens in your 40s or 50s, it carries a unique weight.
You’re grieving the loss of your partner and the unravelling of a shared history built over years: the quirky routines, the friendship circles. But you’re also reeling from the realisation that the future you thought was completely mapped out has disappeared in front of your eyes.
Take a breath. It’s a lot to get your head around.
Right now, it’s completely normal to feel…
- Overwhelmed
- A loss of control
- Sad
- Deeply stuck
You are not failing.
You are navigating through a storm, and sailing is tiring work. The place you’re in right now may feel uncomfortable, messy and empty.
I invite you to gently shift your perspective and consider this a place to take time for yourself and become untangled. This isn’t about trying to fix everything — it’s a time to undo the glue from the past and find your footing, so you can start painting on your new blank canvas when it’s time.
Let’s take one gentle step together and explore where you’re standing right now.
The Grounding Path
Three prompts for pondering or journaling.
Make yourself a drink, grab your journal, and take a seat. Drop your shoulders away from your ears, breathe in, and exhale completely. Allow yourself to just be here, exactly as you are, without judgment — answer with raw honesty. Write your thoughts down, or simply think them aloud.
01 · Facing the hardest truths
What is the hardest truth I am coming to terms with this week? This could be that you won’t share another birthday together, you’ll never laugh through a film side by side again, or you don’t yet know how to separate your finances.
02 · Reclaiming tiny pockets of control
When everything feels messy and out of control, what is one small thing I can control today to take care of myself? A short walk, a cup of tea in silence, a warm bath, a nap, or simply using my breath.
03 · Catching glimpses of your strength
Even as I’m hurting, what is one tiny inner strength or quality I’m beginning to catch glimpses of, or rediscover, through this challenge? I am brave. I am true to myself. I am learning new things during this tough time.
A note from me
When my own relationship of 15 years ended, my entire world fractured — like the shockwaves after an earthquake. I had to face the daunting reality of flying solo in midlife, and I know intimately how terrifying it is to navigate a long-term breakup when you thought your future was already locked in.
I had to learn how to untangle my life, how to deal with so many endings and new beginnings, and how to figure out who I was as a single woman in the world. If you’re trying to survive a midlife breakup or divorce, please know you don’t have to navigate this alone. I’ve been in those exact shoes, and I promise you: there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Meet Janine
I’m Janine Jenkins, a Certified Life Coach and founder of Undo the Glue. I have lived a life with many chapters — some I wrote myself, and others that were hijacked by a different author. I know what it’s like to sit in the shit and not be able to see a way out.
I understand how it feels to lose yourself and be scared to take the next step because every single direction feels like the wrong one. But you don’t have to figure out the whole route today — we just need to find your footing for the next ten minutes.
Ready to undo the glue?
If you’re ready to take one gentle step forward and begin to undo the glue from the past, I invite you to a free, private 30-minute consultation. Let’s map out your next chapter, together.
Not ready to reach out? Start gently.
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