Take a look at our June newsletter!
Try This Instead! Social Media Isn’t the Cure for Loneliness
JUNE 2023
Near the end of 2020, Harvard University surveyed almost 1,000 Americans about loneliness. Their discoveries were eye-opening! Thirty-six percent of the people they spoke to, including 51% of mothers with young children, struggled with “serious loneliness.” The Harvard researchers’ press release didn’t give a specific loneliness percentage for people going through a divorce, but I bet that number would be around 99%. Even the smoothest divorce can trigger deep isolation. In this dark place, many people turn to social media — for escape or to tell their stories. I completely get it. When you’re holding your phone, it feels like you have a community at your fingertips! I use social media myself to stay in touch with old friends and family in different parts of the world. But here’s the difficult truth: Venting on Facebook or posting on Instagram won’t bring you the confidence, love, and connection you crave. Social media can’t cure your loneliness. In fact, the momentary validation you feel when someone likes a photo of your beach trip or responds to a post about your struggle can have the opposite effect. That validation can become addictive, keep you glued to your phone, and prevent you from being present in your life. I know it’s hard, but instead of using likes and clicks to solve your loneliness, you should focus on building meaningful connections and relationships offline. That’s the only way to climb out of an isolation hole. When you feel like sharing a photo on social media, ask yourself, “What do I want this post to accomplish?” If your only goal is validation, check yourself. Call a friend, plan an activity with your kids, or snuggle up with your pet instead. The more often you do this, the better you’ll feel. To hear more of my thoughts about the pros and cons of social media, check out the episode “Social Media: Creating an Artificial Reality?” on the “Happily Ever After Divorce” podcast!
Divorce and Social Media: 3 Quick FAQs Q: Should I stop posting on social
media during my divorce? A: You don’t have to cut yourself off from social media entirely, but you
should be extremely careful about what you post. Social media posts and comments are discoverable evidence, meaning your ex-spouse’s attorney can find them and use them against you in court. Q: Can posting on social media impact my custody battle? A: Yes! Social media posts can be used as evidence against you or your ex-spouse. This can work in your favor if, for example, your ex misses their custody visitation because of “work” but posts photos from vacation in Tahiti. Your attorney can use those posts as evidence you’re the more reliable parent. Q: Can I stop my ex from posting pictures of my kids online? A: To stop your ex from posting photos, you need to prove their posts are either highly inappropriate or are negatively affecting your child(ren). If you think you can, reach out to your attorney for help with the legal process.
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–Sara Khaki
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If you’d like to join our support group, register at the link on this page. You can also share the link with divorced or divorcing friends, family, or clients who need a community to lean on. REGISTER FOR OUR COMPLIMENTARY VIRTUAL PROGRAMS
Our complimentary divorce support groups and seminars are available online! Register for upcoming events to gain knowledge, resources, and emotional support to help you feel empowered while you go through major life changes — all without leaving home. HAPPILY EVER AFTER DIVORCE SUPPORT GROUP MEETING (VIRTUAL SUPPORT GROUP) When: Date Pending — Please check our registration link! Register: AtlantaDivorceLawGroup.com/happily-ever-after-divorce-support-group Have you ever heard the phrase, “Tough times don’t last; tough people do”? As we see it, our Happily Ever After Divorce Support Group is full of tough people — and if you’ve gone through the tough times of divorce, you may want to join them! This group meets online once a month, and it’s an ideal place for people who have gone through a divorce, custody battle, or both to talk through their worries, overcome their fears, and seize their Happily Ever Afters. Kathleen Shack, a licensed marriage and family therapist, runs the group and keeps the monthly discussions on track. She has over 20 years of experience working with divorced and blended families, so she’s the perfect person to help you let go of your “why?” questions and find closure. Summer has finally arrived, and many of us will be going on weeklong excursions to the coast to get some much-needed rest and relaxation by the beach. For years, the beach has been one of the most popular summertime destinations for Americans, with millions of us flocking to the coast every year. If you’re planning to hit the sand this summer, you should prepare some exciting activities, so you and your family or travel partners can create memories that will last a lifetime. OCEAN ACTIVITIES THE ENTIRE FAMILY WILL LOVE Master the Waves
DIVORCING A NARCISSIST (COMPLIMENTARY WEBINAR) When: Thursday, June 29, at 6:30 p.m. Register: AtlantaDivorceLawGroup.com/our-seminars
There are few things worse than watching someone you love suffer through a bad relationship. Maybe their spouse is abusive, or maybe they’re a narcissist who undervalues and undermines them at every turn. If you have a friend, family member, or client in the latter situation and you aren’t sure how to help, one of the best things you can do is recommend our Divorcing a Narcissist webinar. At this free, discrete online meeting, we will help your friend decide whether divorce is their best option. We’ll also prepare them for the steps involved in divorcing a narcissist. Narcissists tend to play mind games that can make the divorce process much more stressful, so don’t let your friend go it alone. Share our registration link to ensure they have professional help.
Here are a few oceanside activities you’ll want to check out on your vacation.
EXPLORE THROUGH SNORKELING. Many people want to try scuba diving while on vacation but don’t have the time, training, and finances required to go on an excursion. That being said, you can get pretty close to the scuba-diving experience by snorkeling. Using a snorkel in the ocean, especially in flat water, is a great way to explore the underwater world. You’ll be able to spot fish, crustaceans, and other sea life without needing extensive training. Those who regularly go snorkeling see it as a form of therapy that helps them relieve stress and anxiety. Feeling more relaxed and at peace will help make your vacation feel even more magical. GRAB A BOARD. If you want to experience something slightly more intense, you can try some of the many ocean activities involving a board. First-time ocean-goers will love using a boogie board or bodyboard to ride the waves into shore. Those who are more experienced may enjoy surfing for the first time or renting a
standing paddleboard. Many beaches on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts have paddleboard rentals or surfing lessons. Be on the lookout at your vacation destination if you want to take advantage of these exciting activities. TOUR THE OCEAN. You may want to get away from the beach and experience open waters beyond the shore. If that’s the case, you’ll want to see if your vacation destination offers glass-bottom boat or submarine tours. Some beaches even have whale- watching adventures, which provide an excellent opportunity to see some of nature’s largest creatures in their natural habitat.
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MONKEY AROUND THIS SUMMER CHECK OUT SOME OF AMERICA’S BEST ZOOS Summer is one of the best times of the year to travel. Kids are out of school and want to do something fun every weekend, which can be difficult to accommodate if you’ve already exhausted your local options. If you’re looking to travel, you can visit a beach, take in the sights and sounds of an amusement park, or spend some time with animals while visiting a zoo. Nearly every state in our country has a handful of zoos or aquariums, but some stand above the rest.
Listen to the newest episodes from ADLG’s Sara Khaki and Shawna Woods!
‘Happily Ever After Divorce Podcast’
Concierge Partner’s Corner LAUREN DACK Joyful Life Counseling & Coaching
Here are three of the best zoos you can visit in the U.S.
OMAHA’S HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM The Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha, Nebraska, is consistently ranked as one of the top five zoos in the world. It prides itself on hosting rare, endangered animals you can’t see elsewhere. It has the world’s largest nocturnal exhibit, and one of the major highlights is the Desert Dome, an 84,000-square-foot indoor desert that maintains an authentic desert ecosystem. This is a must-visit for any animal lover in your family. THE BRONX ZOO You don’t usually think about seeing exotic animals when you visit New York City, but the Bronx Zoo is one of the best places to view animals in America. Opened in 1899, the Bronx Zoo is responsible for many of the advancements relating to animal captivity. This was one of the first zoos to ditch cages for natural environments and create an animal hospital. With over 6,000 species, there’s an animal for everyone at the Bronx Zoo. THE LIVING DESERT ZOO AND GARDENS While the San Diego Zoo is often boasted as California’s largest and best zoo, another zoo is worth checking out. The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens outside Palm Springs has entertained visitors for decades. There are events at this zoo every day, one of the most popular being the keeper connections and animal encounters, where you get up close and personal with the animals while learning more about their habitats and lifestyles.
Discussions about mental health are finally becoming less stigmatized. Nationwide, more and more people are seeing therapists — and they aren’t afraid to talk about it! In our view,
“Excellent quick service! They helped me finalize and settle my divorce quickly, and I am greatly appreciative of Megan and her team. I would highly recommend [them] to everyone.” –Yvonne N. “[My attorney] was great! He took our case and fought for us until we got what we deserved. He treated us more like family than clients. I would highly recommend him!!” –Reginald D. WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING! Lauren Dack is an expert you can count on in this area. She’s licensed in both counseling and marriage and family therapy and specializes in helping “individuals and couples struggling with physical and emotional intimacy, trauma recovery, grief and loss, depression, anxiety, affair recovery, communication, conflict resolution, and premarital counseling.” To learn more about Lauren’s services through Joyful Life Counseling & Coaching, visit JoyfulLifeCounseling.org or call 404-913-1102. this is a move in the right direction. Counseling is particularly important during and after a big life change like a divorce, move, marriage, death in the family, or the start of a business. If you’re recently divorced, individual and/or family counseling could help you recover your confidence and move forward.
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If your friends and neighbors aren’t talking about pickleball, they will be soon. In 2021, news outlets reported an explosion in the sport, with NPR estimating 4.8 million players. By 2022, that number had ballooned to 36.5 million players — an astonishing 14% of Americans. Even star athletes like Lebron James and Tom Brady are playing. For the uninitiated, pickleball is often described as a combination of tennis, badminton, and pingpong. Three fathers invented the game in 1965 to entertain their bored children on vacation. They rounded up the limited equipment they had on hand, including a wiffle ball, pingpong paddles, and a badminton net they lowered to tennis height. As the game developed, they realized the ball bounced nicely on asphalt — even though legend says a family dog named Pickles kept running off with it. Like in tennis, pickleball involves hitting a ball back and forth over a net. Usually played by four people in teams of two, a player can hit the ball back over the net from in the air (a volley) or after it bounces on the ground (a groundstroke). But the creators instituted a 7-foot no-volley zone, or “kitchen,” next to the net. The extra space deters spiking and minimizes running. Those are the basics. Learn a few rules about serving, scoring, and when different hits are allowed, and you’re ready to play. But that still leaves a question: What’s the big deal? WHY PEOPLE CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF PICKLEBALL America’s Fastest-Growing Sport
The ease of learning the sport is one of pickleball’s greatest appeals, but the reasons people love playing it go far beyond that. One of pickleball’s key advantages is that it rewards skill — not size, age, strength, or fitness. Thanks to the kitchen, young and old alike can fairly square off. Professional athletes can enjoy the sport, but so can children and seniors. Best of all, they can play together on mostly even footing. With its low-impact nature, pickleball first found favor among adults 65 and older. But as its popularity grew, the sport began attracting younger and younger players. USA Pickleball reported in 2021 that most growth was in players under 55. Pickleball courts are in high demand, and they’re popping up everywhere. So, if you want to try the game, you shouldn’t have to travel too far. Enthusiasts predict the sport has a future in the Olympics — not too bad for a game that began with a family trip and a rowdy dog.
Local Ways to Spend Father’s Day DON’T LET THE HOLIDAY PASS YOU BY!
In last month’s newsletter, we shared tips for getting the most out of Mother’s Day. Now, it’s time for dads to take center stage! Take one of these local opportunities to celebrate yourself or the dads in your life. Explore the Chattahoochee Nature Center for Free — This is the perfect excursion for nature-loving families. On Sunday, June 18, the Chattahoochee Nature Center will give free admission to fathers and grandfathers. “Bring a picnic, enjoy on-site programs, walk the Wildlife Walk, and explore the new River Boardwalk Trail,” the center recommends. “For added fun, register to have breakfast with the butterflies, family canoe day on the pond, a guided river canoe trip in the evening, or soar through the trees with Screaming Eagle Aerial Adventures.” Chow Down at Family Food Fest Atlanta — On Father’s Day, the Georgia Freight Depot will transform into a tasty destination for fathers and their families. The 9th Annual Family Food Fest Atlanta will include cooking demonstrations, food- focused panel discussions, all-you-can-eat bites, and more. Chow down to live music and keep the
kids entertained with face painting and balloon art. Admission is $40 for adults and $20 for kids, but you can score discounted tickets at FamilyFoodFest.org. Enjoy ‘Water for Elephants’ at the Alliance Theatre — If you have older kids or a dad who loves theater, consider snagging Father’s Day tickets to “Water for Elephants”! The play features a combination of romance, adventure, and magic that AllianceTheatre.org claims “will reignite your dreams of running away with the circus.” It runs from Wednesday, June 7–Sunday, July 9. Refine Your Swing at Topgolf — Need we say more? Top Golf is a year-round destination for dads. On Father’s Day, grab a group of fellow dads for a game or take the family for an afternoon playing Angry Birds and Quick 9. If you’re golfing with a group, we recommend reserving a bay in advance at Topgolf.com/us/atlanta. Father’s Day reservations open Sunday, June 11. Can’t spend this Father’s Day with your dad or kids? No worries. Plan a fishing trip, golf outing, or museum visit for another June day instead.
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