The Widowed Mom Podcast

If you've ever wondered how to help a grieving friend, this episode is for you. Most of us want to support the people we love when they're grieving, but we were never taught what grief actually looks like or how to respond when someone is hurting. In this episode, I explain why grief affects so much more than emotions, why the five stages of grief aren't a roadmap, and why there's no timeline for...

When your husband dies, you may expect grief to affect your emotions, but what happens when it also affects your ability to think ? Maybe you're forgetting things, struggling to concentrate, or second-guessing decisions that used to feel easy. If that sounds familiar, I want you to know that you're not alone. In this episode, I'm talking about widow fog, why grief can impact your memory and concen...

Dating after your person dies can feel incredibly unfamiliar, especially if the last time you dated was decades ago. In this episode, I answer seven of the questions I hear most often about widows and dating , from how to know when you're ready to whether there is such a thing as dating too soon. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/384 Fol...

Making big decisions in the first year of widowhood can feel especially overwhelming when grief has affected your concentration, confidence, and sense of certainty. In this episode, I’m challenging the common advice that widows should avoid all major decisions for a full year after their person dies. Sometimes waiting is helpful, and sometimes life requires you to decide sooner. Get full show note...

If you're having thoughts about self-harm, please reach out to a qualified mental health professional. Call or text 988 to get in touch with the Suicide and Crisis Line. If you’ve ever wondered whether what you’re feeling is grief, depression, or both , this episode is for you. I’m breaking down why grief and depression can look so similar, including changes in sleep, appetite, energy, concentrati...

Can you really die of a broken heart? In this episode, I’m looking at the science behind that question, including the widowhood effect and the real medical condition known as broken heart syndrome, or Takotsubo cardiomyopathy Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/381 Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifecoachkrista/ Mentione...

If you knew your person was going to die, you may have expected the loss to feel different because you had time to prepare. In this episode, I’m talking about anticipatory grief: the grief that can begin before a death fully occurs. We’ll look at the losses that happen during illness, decline, and caregiving, from changing roles and intimacy to the future you thought you would share. Get full show...

In this episode, I’m talking about survivor's guilt and why it can show up in widowhood, sometimes when you least expect it. You might wonder why you get to keep living, laughing, traveling, watching your kids grow, or creating a future when your person can’t. And sometimes, those thoughts get even louder when life starts feeling better. I’ll explain why guilt can create an illusion of control, ho...

In this episode, I sit down with Anne Chillman, a widowed mom whose husband, Chili, died suddenly of a heart attack in 2022. Anne shares what the first years after sudden loss looked like for her and her two daughters, including the shock, the secondary losses, the pressure to hold everything together, and the challenge of making decisions without her partner. Get full show notes, transcript, and...

I have something brand new I want to invite you to. It’s a free live class called The Thriving Widow Blueprint: Why Conventional Grief Advice Fails and What Actually Works . If you’ve read the books, listened to the podcasts, tried therapy or a grief group, stayed busy, given it time, and you still feel stuck, this class is for you. So much of what we’ve been taught about grief is outdated or inco...

If therapy or a grief group has helped you but you still find yourself wondering, “Is this as good as it gets?” this episode is for you. This week, I’m talking about what grief coaching can add when you’ve told the story, understand your grief better, and are functioning again, but you still don’t feel like you’re really living. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://w...

Can grief make perimenopause and menopause feel even harder to navigate? In this episode, I sit down with my friend and women's health nurse practitioner, Jill Crotty, to explore what happens when the emotional and physical effects of grief overlap with hormonal changes. If you've been wondering whether what you're experiencing is grief, perimenopause and menopause, or both, this conversation will...

As I mark 10 years since Hugo’s death, I'm reflecting on the biggest lessons widowhood has taught me and sharing the insights I wish someone had given me in those early days. My hope is that these lessons help you approach your own grief with more compassion and a little less self-judgment. Tune in this week to learn 10 lessons from a decade of widowhood , including how to stop fighting your emoti...

What do you do when grief doesn't just break your heart, but completely overwhelms your nervous system? In this episode, I sit down with Mom Goes On member Heather Rosser to talk about what happened after the death of her husband and how learning to regulate her nervous system became one of the biggest turning points in her healing. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https...

What actually helps when you're in the middle of acute grief and every day feels impossible? In this episode, I continue my two-part series on acute grief by sharing 10 practical strategies that supported me and the thousands of widows I've coached . My goal isn't to help you avoid grief, but to make the early days feel a little less overwhelming and a little more manageable. Get full show notes,...

What if some of the most frightening parts of acute grief are actually completely normal? In this episode, I begin a two-part series on acute grief by sharing ten things I wish someone had told me after my husband died. My goal isn't to make acute grief hurt less, but to help you stop wondering if you're grieving "wrong" when your mind and body respond in ways you never expected. Get full show not...

Have you heard the term widow fire and wondered what it actually means or whether something is wrong with you if you've experienced it? In this episode, I unpack one of the most misunderstood experiences in widowhood and explain why widow fire is far more common than many widows realize. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/371 Follow me on...

What if loneliness isn't caused by being alone? In this episode, I explore one of the most common experiences in widowhood: loneliness . I share why loneliness can feel so overwhelming after losing a spouse, why you can feel lonely even in a room full of people, and how understanding what loneliness really is can completely change the way you respond to it. Get full show notes, transcript, and mor...

How do you keep living after a traumatic loss changes everything in an instant? In this episode, I sit down with Mom Goes On member Kaydee Castricone, who shares the heartbreaking story of losing both her husband and daughter in a devastating car accident that also left her youngest son critically injured. Kaydee shares what helped her most, including somatic tools, coaching, community support, an...

Have you ever wondered if your grief is too intense, lasting too long, or somehow a sign that you’re doing something wrong? In this episode, I talk about what it really means to cope with intense grief after losing a spouse and why so many widows unintentionally make grief harder by judging themselves for how they’re grieving. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www...

What if tapping could help you stay present with grief without feeling completely overwhelmed by it? In this episode, I sit down with Mom Goes On member Judith Lysaker to talk about how tapping became an unexpected but powerful part of her grief journey after the sudden death of her husband, Paul. Join us this week as we discuss the early days of grief, the importance of community, and how writing...

Are you exhausted by the nonstop mental load of solo parenting after loss , even when you’re doing everything “right”? In this episode, I talk about the emotional, mental, and nervous system impact of solo parenting in widowhood and why so many widows feel overwhelmed in ways that rest alone doesn’t fix. Join me this week to hear how solo parenting after loss affects executive functioning, decisio...

In this episode, I share six powerful lessons I wish someone had told me after I became a widow and the guidance I now give widows as a grief coach. Tune in this week as I talk about the difference between consuming grief content and actually doing the work of healing. I explain why self-compassion matters, why getting the right support and tools is essential, and how widows often stay stuck waiti...

What if understanding your nervous system in grief could completely change how you experience loss, healing, and emotional overwhelm? This week, I sit down with Deb Dana, a renowned clinician, author, and polyvagal expert, best known for translating Dr. Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory into practical, accessible tools for clinicians and the public. Join us as we explore how grief impacts the nervo...

What if your grief could become part of an intentional, meaningful next chapter? In this powerful conversation, I sit down with my client Wendy Veazie as she shares her deeply personal journey after the sudden loss of her husband, Peter, and how she learned to reframe her grief story and navigate unimaginable pain without losing herself. In this episode, Wendy opens up about the shock of sudden lo...