The Widowed Mom Podcast

I get mad when people suggest false binaries in the dating experience of widows, especially when they haven’t been through this experience themselves. Wouldn’t it be nice if dating again as a widow was cut and dry, and not complicated, messy, or an emotional rollercoaster? I give you permission to embrace the 'and' in dating and offer 20 examples of how the 'and' in dating again as a widow helps y...

Every single day, I work with widows who are creating post-traumatic growth and don’t even realize it because the changes they’re undergoing don’t feel big enough.  It’s time to expand what we consider post-traumatic growth. Learn what post-traumatic growth in the small things could look like for you and how you might already be showing up with courage and bravery in the little things. ...

I have coached widows who are struggling with their in-laws countless times. It’s an experience that’s extremely common, and while these situations are far from pleasant, there are also many opportunities here for you to cultivate more freedom, self-trust, and self-validation. I give you 10 strategies that will help you maintain perspective as you navigate what might be a challenging relationship...

My client, KC Morris, has accomplished a lot since her husband’s passing, but she felt there was more to life than just keeping her household together, staying on top of her career, and being a mom. KC decided to take a leap of faith and push herself towards the full, rich, vibrant life that she knew was available to her, and she’s here today to share her experience of navigating early grief and w...

I love the possibilities that post-traumatic growth gives us in grief, but while growth is always available to us, it is far from a “should.” Whether you’re explicitly telling yourself that you should be growing from your grief, or your “should” is showing up in disguise, join me this week as I show you why you shouldn’t grow from grief unless you want to, and alternative ways to start seeing your...

Grief is intense and complicated and completely unique to each and every person, so if you’re seeking reassurance that your experience is normal, you’re not alone… but it’s also not serving you. Tune in this week to learn why we want to know if what we’re facing in grief is normal, how this question is unhelpful, and what you can ask instead. Get full show notes and more information here:  ht...

When you’ve experienced so much sadness, it’s common to feel worn down by it. But sadness doesn’t exist to hold you back. It’s there to remind you that you’ve lost something you care about deeply. So, can we smile at our sadness, welcome it in a little more, and witness it?  In this episode, I'll show you the gifts sadness brings when we stop shoving it down by exploring themes of sadnes...

What do you do when you want to love life again after loss, but your happiness and joy left with your person? After the death of her husband Rob, my client Christy O’Neil knew she wanted to actively create an extraordinary life. She knew coaching would help her make life beautiful again, but she didn’t realize just how much, and she’s here to share her insights with you on this episode. ...

Among her many significant achievements, Elise Loehnen is the author of the NewYork Times bestseller, On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good , and she’s here today to help us make sense of our experience as women, especially in grief. Elise gives us a masterclass on how we are socialized as women, the cataclysmic price we pay to be perceived as “good,” and h...

Taylor Swift is someone I have a lot of admiration and respect for. She’s a phenomenal artist and businesswoman with a list of accomplishments longer than most, but she missed the mark a few weeks ago and we have to talk about it. Hear my thoughts on Taylor’s decision to categorize her songs using the five stages of grief, and why perpetuating a one-size-fits-all approach might be the antithe...

There are so many false binaries in grief that make the experience more painful than it already is. From forced gratitude to sweeping your sadness under the rug, none of it would be necessary if you started using the word ‘and’ more in your everyday life. Learn why I believe ‘and’ is one of the most magical words we can use in grief, how ‘and’ makes room for everything you feel, and how you c...

My Mom Goes On client Stephanie Hester-Rodriguez lost her husband in October 2021 after he contracted COVID.  She went from living her happiest, best days to being thrown into the depths of grief.  Hear how her husband’s death ripped up the foundation of her life, shook her faith, and her process of rebuilding a life she loves. Get full show notes and more information here:  https:/...

Early acute grief often brings with it a sense of chaos and so many questions about what’s normal or what to expect. This time tends to feel like a roller-coaster for new widows because what they’re really looking for is reassurance, and I believe having accurate information and tools makes it easier.  I’m sharing my answers to five of the most common new widow questions, and introducing...

How are you doing? This is one of the most common questions widows are asked, and if you dread it, you’re most definitely not alone. Hear why widows loathe being asked how we’re doing, and some different options for answering this question the next time you’re asked.  Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/258 Mentioned in this episode: You're Invite...

Do you believe that there’s some sort of false binary where you’re either grieving or done with grief? This is just one of the myths so many people have bought into about grief, but we know that grief never ends. Learn why you never have to worry about being done with grief, and how it’s possible to love your life and create post-traumatic growth, even if you grieve your loss forever. Get ful...

My client, Wendy Alcanter, is a mother of three who lost her husband to suicide three years ago. She joined Mom Goes On as a busy mom and ER doctor, discovered the tools that helped her create a life she truly loves, and she’s here to tell us about her grief journey. Wendy shares her experience of early grief, how the tools she learned in Mom Goes On have supported her, and what her life is l...

Most people are walking around wondering if they’ve reached acceptance in grief, as though it’s a place. This feeds right into the narrative that grief ends. But we know that it doesn’t. Learn why acceptance is not a place but rather a choice we make over and over, and how you can begin thinking about acceptance as a constant opportunity.  Get full show notes and more information here:&n...

Do you worry that if you no longer felt pain about your person’s loss you’d lose your connection to them? Join me this week to hear why your pain has nothing to do with your connection to your person, the difference between thoughts that create pain and thoughts that create connection, and what happens when you confuse pain with connection. Get full show notes and more information here: https://ww...

What is your relationship with pleasure? My guess is that you don’t truly believe your pleasure is a priority, but grief is a phenomenal opportunity for you to reassess where and how you can have a better quality of life. Hear how most of us don’t prioritize pleasure, why pleasure is especially important in grief, and what you can do to create more pleasure and joy in your life. Get full show...

When do widows need a life coach? I’ll be honest, I struggle to answer this question, not only because I don’t know what you need, but also because I’m not in the business of telling people they need a coach. Hear why asking this question is entirely unhelpful, and ask yourself questions instead about what you want next in life. Get full show notes and more information here:  https://www...

There’s nothing like spousal or partner loss to make us reassess our priorities and get back in touch with what we truly want. But what do you do when you decide you no longer want to pursue something, and you’ve got that voice in your head saying, “Don’t be a quitter, you should or have to do this?” Hear why you might be struggling to give up on something you no longer want, and discover fou...

So much of what we’re experiencing - from the roller-coaster of emotions and what we believe is or isn’t possible for us - feels so true, doesn’t it? However, just because it’s there as the content of your experience doesn’t mean it’s what you’re limited to. That’s because you are the context, not the content, and this week, I’m sharing a new perspective on widowhood that might break your brain in...

The common widowhood experience often ranges from a lack of enthusiasm about life and going through the motions to apathy and waiting for the afterlife. What I haven’t observed very often in my world is what I see as the potential for an uncommon widowhood experience, and I’m walking you through it today. If you want to start viewing grief as an opportunity to deeply connect with what you wan...

I don’t know that we’ll ever reach the bottom of the list when it comes to myths about grief, but I have six more to share with you today. Grief is a subjective experience that is unique to each of us, and it’s impossible to do it wrong. Hear six universal myths about grief that simply aren’t helpful and how to be the authority on your own grief experience.  Get full show notes and more infor...

There are many ideas out there about what grief should look like and how we should handle it. Most of these ideas are myths, and believing them doesn’t help you on your grief journey at all. I share six of these myths, explain why they aren’t true, and share insights on more helpful ways to look at your grieving experience. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkri...