In this heartfelt episode, I delve into the complex relationship between grief and love, sharing my journey of navigating loss and its impact on my relationships. I reflect on the importance of self-love, the complexities of emotional labor, and the necessity of setting boundaries. Through my experiences, I want to emphasize that grief is not just a burden but can also lead to joy and a deeper understanding of oneself. I conclude with a message of hope, encouraging listeners to embrace their own stories of grief and healing.

Chapters

00:00 Navigating Grief and Love

02:57 The Weight of Loss

06:04 The Complexity of Love and Grief

08:33 Learning to Love Yourself

10:48 Finding Joy Amidst Grief

13:44 The Journey of Healing

16:41 Embracing the Future with Grief

19:41 Legacy and Memory

In this episode of Good Grief Jessi, I’m diving into the reality of working while grieving—the unexpected struggles, the emotional toll, and how loss impacts daily work life. After recently losing a friend, I found myself facing a fresh wave of grief, just as my mother’s anniversary approached. It made me reflect on the early days of my grief journey—when I had to show up to work, hold it together, and keep going, even when everything inside me felt broken.

How do you focus when grief clouds your mind? How do you manage work responsibilities when all you want to do is pause? And how do you advocate for yourself in a workplace that may not understand what you're going through? I’ll share my personal experiences and the lessons I’ve learned along the way.

Plus, I’m introducing something special—my best friend Keenan’s incredible digital artwork for Good Grief Jessi! His creativity has inspired me to keep creating, and I’m so grateful for his support in this journey.

If you’ve ever had to navigate grief while working, this episode is for you. Let’s talk about it. 💙

In this comeback episode of Good Grief Jessi, we reconnect after a hiatus and dive into what's new. Discover the inspiration behind the new branding and our vision for the future. We'll also give you a sneak peek into upcoming topics like navigating a career, relationships, and starting anew while grieving. Join us as we embrace this fresh start together!

Do you find yourself having bad days? Days where you don't want to get out of bed or talk to friends or family, and then you feel guilty?? Just great, right? This episode will illustrate what a bad day looks like for me. I will also share some tips on how to make your bad days easier!

UPDATE: These interviews will be part of season four!

Want to be a part of Season Three? Listen to find out more!

Support the show

Season 2 has been so amazing. In this episode, we take a look at some of the interviews that took place and reflect on being the best we can be while grieving. Thank you for all your support, and Season 3 is already in the making! Www.goodgriefjessi.com

Katharine Manning is the President of Blackbird DC, which provides training and coaching on empathy at work, particularly in challenging times when it matters most. She is the author of The Empathetic Workplace: Five Steps to a Compassionate, Calm, and Confident Response to Trauma on the Job. She has worked on issues of trauma and victimization for more than 25 years.

Dr. Joshua Black is one of the world's leading academic experts on bereavement dreams, known as grief dreams. He has focused all of his MA and PhD research (in psychology) on investigating grief dreams and continuing bonds from many types of loss (including prenatal loss and pet loss). His academic research and publications have focused on dreaming of the deceased.

April is recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. I brought in the crew of Touchy Subjects Podcast to talk about the things that no one wants to discuss. We learn what domestic violence is and how we can start the conversation! Meet Shawn and Amanda! Shawn has a Master's degree in Public Health and has worked in domestic and sexual violence prevention for over 5 years. He has presented to middle and high schoolers, college students, healthcare professionals, and bar staff

Meet Brooke Bushnell!I am the Customer Experience Supervisor at Eterneva. I was led here after losing my dad to AIDS and hating the options that were available for his ashes. He has become the driving force in everything I have done since he left. I've made him proud by not taking no for an answer and going for my dreams. https://eterneva.com