In this raw and unfiltered conversation, I sit down with my client Janet Lea who shares her experience of grief after losing her wife of 43 years. Janet's perspective is fresh—she's approaching the one-year mark since Mary Lou's passing—and her insights are both heartbreaking and illuminating.

Join us this week as Janet lets us in on the realities of grief—from the unexpected ways it manifests physically to the well-intentioned but unhelpful things people say. Whether you're newly widowed or supporting someone who is, Janet's story offers valuable insights about navigating loss, asking for help, and finding your way forward without a roadmap.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/312

Mentioned in this episode:

Check Out Widow We Do Now? Wherever You Get Your Podcasts!

Join Grief Essentials!

Designed especially for widows, Grief Essentials offers the perfect combination of powerful tools and support, along with accurate information about grief, so widowhood gets easier.

Join Grief Essentials!

“Am I doing this wrong?” The question haunts so many of us on our grief journey. We look around at other widows, compare our progress to arbitrary timelines, and wonder if our unique experience somehow means we're failing at grief.

In this episode, I tackle the common fear that there's a "right way" to grieve and explain where this anxiety actually comes from.

Join me this week as I explore the pressure to grieve according to societal expectations, the common fears of grieving “wrong” or not doing enough, and questions to ask yourself instead of focusing on whether you’re grieving correctly.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/311

Mentioned in this episode:

Check Out Widow We Do Now? Wherever You Get Your Podcasts!

Join Grief Essentials!

Designed especially for widows, Grief Essentials offers the perfect combination of powerful tools and support, along with accurate information about grief, so widowhood gets easier.

Join Grief Essentials!

Have you ever wondered why grief feels so physical? Why your heart races, your sleep vanishes, and your body aches when you're mourning the loss of someone you love?

In this illuminating episode, I welcome back renowned grief researcher Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor to discuss her new book, The Grieving Body, which explores the profound physical impact of grief. Dr. O'Connor explains that grief isn't just emotional—it's deeply embodied. When we lose someone we love, it's like an amputation; part of our physical regulatory system is suddenly gone.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/310

Mentioned in this episode:

Join Grief Essentials!

Designed especially for widows, Grief Essentials offers the perfect combination of powerful tools and support, along with accurate information about grief, so widowhood gets easier.

Join Grief Essentials!

Check Out Widow We Do Now? Wherever You Get Your Podcasts!

Are you filling every hour of your day since your partner died?

Maybe well-meaning friends have advised you to “just stay busy” or “give it time” as if these are magical solutions to grief. While staying busy can provide temporary relief, it might actually be keeping you stuck in your grief journey without you even realizing it.

Staying busy can feel like a way to maintain control when everything else feels unpredictable. But there’s a crucial difference between healthy distraction and avoidance. Today, I’m exploring when busyness supports us and when it’s a form of avoidance that takes us further from the life we want to build next.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/309

Mentioned in this episode:

Check Out Widow We Do Now? Wherever You Get Your Podcasts!

Join Grief Essentials!

Designed especially for widows, Grief Essentials offers the perfect combination of powerful tools and support, along with accurate information about grief, so widowhood gets easier.

Join Grief Essentials!

What happens when the life you thought was perfect suddenly shatters?

In this week's episode, I sit down with Jo Kleinsorge, who lost her high school sweetheart to suicide two years ago. Their life seemed picture-perfect on the surface - financially stable, healthy kids, world travelers, surrounded by great friends. But in an instant, everything changed.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/308

Mentioned in this episode:

Check Out Widow We Do Now? Wherever You Get Your Podcasts!

Join Grief Essentials!

Designed especially for widows, Grief Essentials offers the perfect combination of powerful tools and support, along with accurate information about grief, so widowhood gets easier.

Join Grief Essentials!

Do you find yourself trying to control everything in your life since losing your person?

If so, I want you to know that this is completely normal, especially after loss. Our need to control often comes from a deep desire to feel safe when our world has been turned upside down.

But here's the truth: trying to control what we can't control is exhausting. It's like trying to hold onto sand - the tighter we grip, the more it slips through our fingers.

In this episode, I explore why we feel compelled to control everything after loss, the hidden costs of this behavior, and how to find true power without control.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/307

Mentioned in this episode:

Check Out Widow We Do Now? Wherever You Get Your Podcasts!

Join Grief Essentials!

Designed especially for widows, Grief Essentials offers the perfect combination of powerful tools and support, along with accurate information about grief, so widowhood gets easier.

Join Grief Essentials!

Do you look outside at the blooming flowers and singing birds and wonder why you don't feel as bright and cheerful as the season suggests you should?

You're not alone.

Sometimes spring brings up a very different kind of tension - when everything outside looks light and beautiful, but inside, it feels heavy and tender. Maybe even dark.

In this week's episode, I'm getting vulnerable and sharing my own experience with this seasonal disconnect, along with some gentle reminders that I think we all need to hear.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/306

Mentioned in this episode:

Check Out Widow We Do Now? Wherever You Get Your Podcasts!

Join Grief Essentials!

Designed especially for widows, Grief Essentials offers the perfect combination of powerful tools and support, along with accurate information about grief, so widowhood gets easier.

Join Grief Essentials!

How often are you pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion?

For many widows, juggling work, children, household responsibilities, and grief creates a perfect storm where taking breaks seems impossible.

In this episode, I share the warning signs that your body and mind desperately need rest, how to redefine what a "break" actually means, and why making rest non-negotiable is essential for your wellbeing.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/305

Mentioned in this episode:

Check Out Widow We Do Now? Wherever You Get Your Podcasts!

Join Grief Essentials!

Designed especially for widows, Grief Essentials offers the perfect combination of powerful tools and support, along with accurate information about grief, so widowhood gets easier.

Join Grief Essentials!

Do you ever feel like your grief progress is too slow? That the little things you accomplish each day don't really matter in the grand scheme of things? I'm here to tell you that every small win counts, especially when you're grieving.

In this episode, we dive into the power of celebrating small wins and how they can help build momentum and confidence during the grief journey. You'll learn why our brains are wired to focus on the negative and how we can train them to notice and celebrate the positive instead.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/304

Mentioned in this episode:

Check Out Widow We Do Now? Wherever You Get Your Podcasts!

Join Grief Essentials!

Designed especially for widows, Grief Essentials offers the perfect combination of powerful tools and support, along with accurate information about grief, so widowhood gets easier.

Join Grief Essentials!

I open up about my own recent experience with secondary loss, feeling the impact of recent plane crashes that involved the same types of aircraft my late husband Hugo used to work on. It's a stark reminder that grief doesn't have an expiration date, and secondary losses can hit us when we least expect them.

If you've been struggling with vanishing friends in the wake of your loss, know that you are not alone.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/303

Mentioned in this episode:

Check Out Widow We Do Now? Wherever You Get Your Podcasts!

Join Grief Essentials!

Designed especially for widows, Grief Essentials offers the perfect combination of powerful tools and support, along with accurate information about grief, so widowhood gets easier.

Join Grief Essentials!