What's Your Grief Podcast

A loss of any kind can lead to difficult identity changes. Shifts in one's sense-of-self, roles that no longer need to be fulfilled, and added responsibilities culminate to create overwhelming stress and confusion as a person has to figure out who they are in the context of life after loss. In this podcast, we discuss the many ways that loss leads to identity changes. We also discuss ways to stay...

Sigmund Freud first proposed the concept of 'defense mechanisms' as an element of his influential theory of personality. For those of you who took Psych 101, think back to the Id, Ego, and Superego in which all elements, with the exception of the ego, reside in the unconscious. Since their introduction, the concept of defense mechanisms has been expanded quite a bit, and they are still used today...

Many people have to return to work within days after experiencing the death of a loved one. Others have a little more flexibility, but must eventually take the step to return to the workplace and workforce. In this podcast the girls of What's Your Grief discuss returning to work after the death of a loved one. They address some of the common barriers and offer suggestions for reducing stress durin...

One emotional experience that many grieving people find particularly confusing is the realization that their thoughts, emotions, and needs occasionally seem to conflict with one another. In this episode of the What's Your Grief Podcast, we discuss the sometimes conflicting emotions of grief.  We also answer a reader questions about seeking therapy after a loss. Show Notes: www.whatsyourgrief.com/f...

People give up homes for various reasons. Sometimes the circumstances are in their control (such as making the choice to sell a house and move to a new one) and sometimes they aren't (like in the case of foreclosure, house fire, natural disaster, or death of the primary resident). Leaving a home can be very sad and emotional regardless of the reason. In today's podcast, we discuss the emotional ex...

We've been telling you for weeks to get caught up on NBC's  'This is Us'  because we're going to talk about it.  Well, today is the day.  If you've been watching  This is Us,  then you've probably noticed the many grief themes that have played out in episodes 1-11.  In this episode of the What's Your Grief Podcast, we discuss four of the main grief themes that we've observed in this critically acc...

By far one of the hardest outcomes to accept about the holidays after the death of a loved one is that tradition needs to be changed or skipped. Traditions your loved one used to be involved with have to change and even those they weren't a part of may seem entirely too difficult to manage. The worst thing you can do is set your holidays on autopilot and hope things work themselves out. Not only d...

People tend to have a lot of expectations about the holiday season.  This is true during times of peace and during times of turmoil. After the death of a loved one, grieving people continue to have expectations about the holiday season. Sometimes these expectations are based on past ideals that have become impossible to replicate since someone integral to existing ritual and tradition has died.  S...

In this special edition of the What's Your Grief Podcast Litsa and Eleanor discuss the recent Gilmore Girls revival. Not your typical gossip session, this discussion focuses specifically on the grief themes the hosts observed throughout the four episode season. 'Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life' meets up with the Gilmore women a decade after the original series ended and four months after the dea...

Season 2: Episode 3: Dating a Widower and Other Topics 0:00 - 5:00 : NFDA Conference Impressions The intersection between grief support and funeral homes 5:00 - 13:45: Talk of a Lifetime Have the Talk of a Lifetime : Conversations around family history, legacy, and how people want to be remembered  Talk of a Lifetime cards and conversation starters 13:45 - 15:50: National Alliance for Grieving Chi...

In this episode of the What's Your Grief podcast we discuss the new grief website, Grief in Six Words, adjusting to the school year after a death, answer a reader's question about grief counseling and discuss a few times that grief has made us feel like mean and ugly people. Minute 0:00 - 3:00: Introduction Minute 3:00 - 10:00: Grief in Six Words Website Minute 10:00 - 15:30: Update on the WYG Boo...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 1 of the What's Your Grief Podcast. This season we're going to shake up our format a little and cover several different topics during each 30 minute episode. In this episode we talk about some of the new resources WYG has to offer; grief reading and movies; and we discuss the concept of loneliness in grief. Minute 0:00 - 5:00: Introductions Minute 5:00 - What's new wit...

It stands to reason that how a person feels about life and death, in many ways, will impact the way they grieve.  Perhaps they hold on tightly to their pain for  fear that if they let go  their loved one's life will be forgotten or meaningless.  Perhaps they  refuse to fully face their grief  because it makes them uncomfortable to think about death. Perhaps they  find comfort in their  beliefs, or...

When something sad, bad, or anxiety producing happens in the life of someone we care about, our immediate instinct is to comfort.  Of course it is – we're good people!  And often this instinct is useful because comforting is exactly what the situation calls for; for example a child's bruised knee or a nervous first day on the job are both situations where a "there, there, you'll be okay" goes a lo...

What have you stopped doing since experiencing the death of your loved one?  More specifically, what do you no longer do that you used to previously enjoy or find fulfilling? These may be things that you stopped doing them because you don't have the time, they require too much effort, they remind you of your loved one, or they seem less fun.  These are things like walking your dog in the evening,...

As if parenting we're hard enough, you've recently experienced the death of someone you love. You've done your best to shelter your children from death, loss, and grief for their entire lives, and now it seems you have no choice but to allow these frightening realities into your family home.  Even if your child is not directly impacted by the loss, the pain of one family member often affects the f...

Although Litsa and I have never been big on Valentine's Day, we realize many of you may have warm, fond memories of Valentine's Days past.  Regardless of where you typically fall of the Valentine's Day love-hate spectrum, a day focused on romance and love can be hard on those who are feeling sad.  In this episode of the What's Your Grief Podcast we discuss some very specific ways to spend Valentin...

There is a common misconception that death is the only loss that results in grief.  Although the loss of a loved one is one of the most devastating types of loss, there are many other circumstances - such as addiction, mental illness, infertility and/or the loss of a relationship, home, job, pet, health, hopes and dreams, faith, identity. etc - that might cause a person to grieve.  In this episode...

With New Years just a few days away, you may be tempted to make a resolution for 2016; especially if 2015 has been a tough year.  In this episode of the What's Your Grief Podcast, we discuss the positives, pitfalls, and practicalities of making a New Year's resolution when you're grieving. Show Notes: www.whatsyourgrief.com/thirty-two

In this episode of the What's Your Grief podcast, we answer your questions about coping with holiday grief. I'm worried the holidays will be very sad and glum. How can I be strong for everyone? My loved one just died and now the holidays are here, what do I do? The anniversary of my loved one's death is right around the holidays, what do I do? Is it okay if I skip the holidays altogether? How do I...

After the death of a loved one, things like feeling better, letting go of belongings, making changes, and just generally living life after the loss can be complicated. Things like when to remove your wedding ring, give away your loved one's belonging, and even when it's okay to laugh again are very personal and often difficult decisions to make.  In this episode of the What's Your Grief Podcast, w...

After the death of a loved one, it is easy to find yourself engaged in negative coping.  These types of coping allow for people to avoid grief triggers, difficult emotions, and tough situations. Ultimately, though, they can be part of a cycle that prevents you from truly processing your experiences and from learning how to live now that your loved one is gone. Many people don't realize that negati...

It is normal to be nervous about sending your child back to school after a death.  As a parent, it's in your nature to want to protect your child after a death.  If your family experienced the death of someone special this summer, there is a good chance you've been watching your child to see if they're coping and adapting well.  If possible, you may have spent extra time over the summer coping tog...

In this episode of the What's Your Grief Podcast, Litsa and Eleanor discuss their grief favorites - favorite movies, favorite songs, favorite books, and even favorite grief cliche they love to hate.  Listen to this episode to hear their recommendations and then share your own favorites with the WYG community in the page comments or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram using the hashtag #GriefFavorit...

Although your wedding is a happy and joyous occasion, it can be a bittersweet when someone important has died and isn't there for your special day.  There are lots of little ways to bring yourself comfort and honor and remember the person you who has died on your wedding day. In this episode of the What's Your Grief Podcast we invite our grief friend Jana DeCristofaro of the Dougy Center to help u...