Blog Posts by BounceBack

It is most commonly believed the name April is derived from the Latin verb Aperire, "to open," as in the opening or blossoming of trees and flowers. With this in mind, April is a nice time to open yourself up to embrace you - your talents, gifts, and what you love to do. Once you've released the negative energy in your life after a breakup or divorce, you can really start creating positive energy in your life, which in turn creates happiness.

One way to do this is to discover or reignite your hobbies, passions or interests. Sometimes, people have a hard time doing this, just like a woman named Michelle. Michelle had been in a relationship for almost five years. She enjoyed her work and really looked forward to spending time with her partner, who was a firefighter. His changing schedule sometimes made it difficult for them to spend much time together, so Michelle started to leave all of her free time available for her partner, pending his schedule. This caused her to stop getting

Spring is traditionally a time for falling in love. The flowers are blooming, the air gets warmer, so shoulders and shapely calves are visible again after being hidden under cozy wool sweaters and jeans for months and months, and there's a certain excitement in the air. After a break-up, you may not be ready to dive back into the dating game, but you can certainly enjoy the tangential benefits of being around all this friskiness.

Try these get-out-there-and-enjoy-life tips this weekend:

1. Spend an afternoon catching up on all those phone calls with old friends you have on your list. Laughing at old memories is a guaranteed pick-me-up.

2. Volunteer at (or sign up for) an adventure race, a marathon, 10K, 5K, triathlon or any other outdoor sporting event. Whether you're there to help or participating, being around lots of people doing great things is a great mood lifter. The vibe at the end of a race is unmatched by any other -- it's a fantastic place to be.

When it comes to healing after a heartbreak, chances are you're battling the blues. Said blues can be stubborn, so it's important to stay on top of them. Otherwise, they could morph into full-blown depression, and we want you on the road to bouncing back, not remaining stuck. Here are some red flags for depression and tips for beating them.

ISOLATING

For some of us it's natural to want to be alone when we're blue. We might not be able to imagine mustering up the energy to leave the house, much less have a conversation or, God forbid, have fun. It's essential, though, to push through this. And by 'push' I mean PUSH. It's hard to fight this one because the more you isolate, the harder it is to get out, and the more you stay in the easier it is to isolate. Forcing yourself to get out is the only way to break this cycle.

Action Plan:

Schedule at least three non-work activities per week. While support from friends and family is invaluable after a heartbreak, doing

By Terry Lyons, BounceBack Fashion and Style Expert

You've recently been sent out into the wild world of dating and, like most, you're a little shaky on the rules. Do I offer to split the bill? When did everyone stop talking and start texting? What do I wear on a first date? It can be overwhelming, and quite intimidating. It can also be an exciting adventure filled with a potpourri of magical moments, disappointments, and funny stories (about the self-appointed "King of Wall Street" who shows up wearing a tattoo t-shirt and reads your aura - yes, that actually happened).

As a stylist, I'm often confronted with the "what to wear" portion of dating. Your style is an extension of yourself, and how you present yourself tells your date a lot about who you are. Here are 3 simple steps to looking and feeling your best on a first date.

1. Keep it Simple

When it comes to fashion, men are straightforward creatures. They want to see one thing and one thing only - curves. He does

The break-up of a family is often one of the most traumatic events in life. And reading this, you might be at a difficult crossroads where you are considering if divorce is the right decision for you and your family. Divorce is a serious decision that should not be taken lightly, but here are a few steps you can take now, in order to prepare yourself for the process, or to help you make a decision.

1) Educate yourself.

Hands-down, this the most important step you will need to take. Be your own financial investigator, track down and take inventory of all possible marital assets: bank accounts, CDs, investments, retirement accounts (pensions, 401Ks, IRAs), real estate, vehicles, and major items of personal property. You will also want to inventory all liabilities: mortgage(s), credit card debts, loans, and lines of credit. Also important is to track down the last 3 years' income tax returns, with all schedules and attachments. Often, tax returns are a good "snapshot" of

In many marriages and live-in relationships, finances are shared. Couples often split up household responsibilities, including the management of these finances. If you're recently out of a marriage or relationship where finances were previously shared, and your significant other was playing the financial guru, you may be finding yourself clueless in the money arena. Or, while you were busy trying to make your relationship work, you may have simply let your finances take a back seat. Instead of hearkening back to your college accounting days, let us help you get control of this crucial aspect of your life.

Tax season is upon us, and now is the perfect time for you to get reacquainted with your finances and get back on track - especially if you're going it alone. Here are 3 steps that will help you get organized and stay organized for April 15th and beyond.

1. Get your finances online.

The web is perhaps your best ally when it comes to getting your finances organized.

By Ally Lewis, BounceBack Fashion & Trend Expert

Photos from Style.com.

If you've been through a breakup or divorce in the past year, we bet you've fallen into one of two fashion camps. One, you've let your closet go completely, reverting to the same yoga pants and T-shirt daily ("who do I need to impress, anyway?") and never bothering to put together a new look for yourself.

Or two, you've succumbed to "retail therapy," dropping cash like it's your job on any item that barely sparks your interest and will most likely end up never worn or at the bottom of a stack of goodwill donations. Retail therapy may be a quick fix, especially online, where "one-click" to purchase makes it easy to end up with 5 FedEx packages at your door in a week - filled with items you don't remember buying. But don't go and spend all your savings yet - we suggest focusing your wardrobe updates on 5 of Spring's fashion trends, so you can look your best when you're ready to get back out

After break-ups, lay-offs and life's other bummer-ridden gems, pity parties have their place and can be helpful at first. However, there always comes a time when it's time to pick yourself up and blow the persistent metaphorical rain cloud out of your personal air space.

But what happens if you're still not actually feeling happy when you start getting the subtle signals from your inner circle that it's time to stop wallowing? The answer is simple: fake it until you make it.

Here are three ways to prank yourself into happiness this April Fool's Day and beyond:

SMILE AND STAND UP STRAIGHT.
By doing things that your body does when you're actually happy, you can trick your body into thinking it's happy. So next time you feel bummed out, check your posture and which direction the corners of your mouth are facing -- you'll fool yourself into a merry mood in no time.

PAY A COMPLIMENT.
A random girl in a coffee shop complimented me on my necklace the other day. It's my favorite necklace