"One of the things that's really difficult with loss is staying self-regulated, and being able to take care of ourselves and knowing what it takes to take care of ourselves. And mindfulness can have a really big impact on self-regulation."

— Emily Irwin

I had such a great discussion with Emily Irwin for this episode. Emily is a therapist and a mindfulness expert based here in Seattle. It seems that mindfulness is all around us these days, so I thought it would be interesting to explore how it might be useful for us as widowed parents, as well as for our kids and teenagers.

Emily and I covered a lot of ground in this discussion:

• What is mindfulness, and what it is not;
• Some common myths and misconceptions about mindfulness;
• How mindfulness can be beneficial for widowed parents and their kids/teens;
• Ideas for practicing gratitude, such as a gratitude jar or the gratitude toss;
• Considerations for trauma-sensitive mindfulness;
• What is neuroplasticity, and how it is something that benefits us through our entire lives, not just when we're young;
• How some early research shows that mindfulness has the potential to help improve teens' resilience to stress; and
• Tips for practicing self-compassion, and why it's so important.

I hope you enjoy my discussion with Emily Irwin.