The Widowed Mom Podcast

Are you dreading the holidays as a widow? Do certain sights, smells, or sounds trigger painful memories and emotions during this festive season?

The holidays can be an incredibly challenging time when you're grieving the loss of a loved one, but being prepared and having a plan can make the experience more manageable. I explore practical strategies for handling holiday triggers with more ease and grace, and share tips for creating your personalized holiday resilience plan.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/285

Do you ever feel pressured to find a romantic partner in order to be truly happy? What if being single was actually an opportunity to build a rich, fulfilling life on your own terms? I talk with Meghan Keane, founder of NPR's Life Kit podcast, about her new book Party of One: Be Your Own Best Life Partner.

Meghan shares her personal journey of losing her father at a young age and supporting her widowed mother, how societal expectations around marriage and partnership have evolved over time, and why it's important to prioritize all types of love and connection in our lives.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/284

Are you holding on to your late partner’s belongings, unsure of when or how to let them go? It’s a tricky balance isn’t it - the desire to keep their memory close while also wanting to move forward, or maybe you simply aren’t ready to begin thinking about the future yet.

Explore why releasing your partner's belongings after a loss can be so difficult. Hear a helpful reframe for this struggle that can guide you in determining whether you're honoring your loved one or simply holding on, along with a reminder that there is no right or wrong timeline for this process.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/283

From the Industrial Revolution to the modern-day superwoman ideal, women in grief especially have internalized the belief that our worth is tied to our output, but at what cost?

Learn how the pressure to be productive can be harmful during grief. You'll also explore questions to help you examine your current relationship with productivity, allowing you to redefine success and give yourself permission to rest and feel.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/282

Have you ever felt that deep ache or yearning after losing your person? While it’s a normal part of the grieving process, our minds often make the presence of this ache mean something negative about ourselves or our grief.

Hear why you feel this ache in the first place, why it’s not a problem to solve, and how to rethink the ache so you can begin moving towards the experience you want to have. 

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/281

Jenny Douglas is an amazing widow who has been through the trenches of grief and come out the other side. We discuss how Jenny rebuilt her life and rediscovered joy, even in the midst of sadness, and why investing in yourself is one of the best things you can do for your well-being.

Jenny shares her powerful story of love, loss, and finding herself again after her husband John passed away.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/280

Have you ever considered that widowhood could be a doorway to a more intentional life? It's not about loving that our person died, but about using this experience as an opportunity for growth and change, only if you want it.

Hear how the loss of your person can bring up both new and long-standing struggles, and how widowhood can serve as an invitation to rewire our brains and change patterns that no longer serve us.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/279

When empty nesting meets widowhood, you can expect to experience complex emotions. This unique combination of life transitions can feel like a double whammy, leaving you disoriented, lonely, and unsure of your identity.

Explore six key challenges that arise when empty nesting and widowhood collide, and learn what you can do about the compounded sense of loneliness and the struggle of rebuilding routines during this identity shift.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/278

Those automatic, habitual first thoughts you have in grief might not be particularly kind or useful, but the good news is that with awareness, you can choose subsequent thoughts that move you closer to the life you want.

Learn how to be on the lookout for unhelpful first thoughts, and to explore examples of choosing second or even third thoughts that will allow you to see different possibilities. 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/277

18 months ago, Helen Tanner was widowed after her husband Philip died unexpectedly following a short illness. In this episode, Helen shares her raw experience of becoming a widow at 43 years old, and how she’s navigating her grief as a doctor and mother of two.

Hear how Helen’s medical training left her ill-equipped to handle her grief, how she has helped her young boys process their anger and sadness in healthy ways, and the unexpected gifts that have emerged since her husband passed. 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/276