After your marriage ends, whether you and your spouse were together for a few years or for many, it can be hard to regain your independence. You shared everything with your partner. Your hopes, your dreams, your bed ... and yes, your bank account.

When I got divorced, getting used to being the only adult in a household of three wasn’t that easy for me. I had relied on my ex-husband for a lot, whether it was dropping the kids off at school in the morning or running out to the bank to get money for the Tooth Fairy or bringing home a paycheck.

But I very quickly learned a few things that were really beneficial to me in the months after my divorce. Like asking for help doesn't mean you're helpless. And feeling strong physically can really help with your emotional well-being.

Here are 8 simple tips to help you stand on your own after a divorce:

Amanda Bynes' behavior has gotten so bizarre that it's no wonder that her parents are reportedly concerned that she has schizophrenia. Amanda has never sought medical or mental health treatment, and when she was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric facility after being arrested for possession of marijuana in New York, psychiatrists determined her hold was unwarranted. But what IS up with Amanda?

Her behavior goes beyond mere star antics. She seems paranoid and is continually calling people "ugly" on Twitter. She accused a cop of "slapping her vagina." She claims she is allergic to drugs despite much anecdotal evidence to the contrary. She threatened to sue any tabloid that used a picture of her "old nose." Hey, just that wig is weird enough. Amanda's parents reportedly fear she has schizophrenia. Could they be right?

Mommies love to drink. Who doesn't know that by now? In case you don't know that, you can log onto pretty much any mommy blog (a lot of them with subtle names like "Mommy Loves to Drink") and compare notes on how to hide your drinking from the kids, how to get in that first glass of wine before the darlings go to bed, whether it's okay to drink at play dates or school plays or before PTA meetings. I get it, moms. Mommyhood, as much as it's rewarding and fun and fabulous, can also be frustrating, heartbreaking, anxiety-inducing, lonely, and a plain ol' crashing bore. So we drink.

When you've got a full-blown raging case of baby fever or practically cry with ecstasy when you tuck your newborn into her crib, it's hard to believe that there are women out there who don't long for the same thing. But just like there are cat people and dog people; city people and country people; rap people and disco (?) people -- there are I-want-a-baby and I-don't-want-a-baby people.

There can be lots of reasons women don't want children. Some do, but feel it wouldn't be responsible given their life situation (lack of funds, lack of family support, lack of partner). Some just plain don't -- even if they've got all of that. But if a woman tells you she doesn't want children, and you want to remain friends with that person, or at least not get a dirty look, or at least not be a wee bit of a jerk, you'll want to avoid saying these 11 things.

It was with great amusement that I read Rihanna's latest River Island clothing line was designed with her own "fat days" in mind. Hahahahahahaha! Only she (at a size 6) would consider a collection that includes hot pants and fishnets "fat day" wear. (Oh to be 20-something with a body like hers!) But it did get me thinking about how universal that feeling is. No matter what size you are, or what kind of shape you're in, some days you feel pretty and slim and others ... not so much.

You know what "fat days" are, I'm sure ... those days when you feel extra frumpy and unlovely and bloated, whether it's because it's that special time of the month, or you've missed the gym (like say for the last four months), or you just overdid it all weekend. Lately, I've been feeling that way more days than not. But there are ways to pull yourself out of a fat-day slump. Here are my tricks and tips.

If you visit my mom's little cottage in Northern California, amongst the well-stocked bookshelves brimming with good reads and framed photos of loved ones, you might spy a small, beautifully wrapped present. A recent gift? Nope -- it's been there for at least a few years, still wrapped, ever unopened.

The existence of this wrapped gift drives my own daughter crazy. "Don't you want to open it?" she asks my mom on every visit. "Don't you wonder what's inside?"

I recently read a sentimental piece about the 30 things every woman should have and know by 30. Shockingly, I could check many of those items off my to-do list. What's more shocking is that I'm not 30 anymore, not even close.

A whole decade has passed. Where did it go? An amazing husband, multiple careers, a recession, two incredible children, and the blink of an eye later, I'm 40. There are many subtle yet life-changing differences a decade makes, which is why in my attempt to embrace existence (numberically speaking), I wrote this list. (This may not be as sentimental as its predecessor, but hey, I'm a humor columnist.)

By 40, you should have …

Catherine-Zeta Jones has checked herself back into a health care facility in order to treat her bipolar disorder. Catherine had also been treated back in 2011, and at that point, she announced to the world that she was bipolar in an effort to help erase the stigma of the disorder. This time, Catherine is said to have gone back for more treatment not because anything specific triggered it, but because she is being "proactive" and "maintaining" her health. This sort of makes it all sound like she's on a diet or headed to the gym. Which is maybe the way it should be.