This week we respond to a question from one of our Hub members. Grief anxiety is very real and, unfortunately, the very connections that can ease anxiety in grief can also be the source of that anxiety. We're chatting about that complicated experience after loss when you find yourself fearful of creating new relationships for fear of losing people while also wanting connection and fearing being alone. The thoughts and feeling are so complicated. *** The WYG Hub (it's our griever member community...
Feb 22, 2024•32 min
In this episode, we dive into the world of grief in the digital era. Specifically we talk about what it really means to express sorrow online and the frustrating misconceptions that grief posts are just for attention. Some people turn to social media for support during tough times and genuine empathy means looking past the many assumptions about what's behind these posts. Sign up for our free February grief support webinar here. Visit whatsyourgrief.com for hundreds of free articles we've writte...
Feb 15, 2024•42 min
In this episode, Litsa and Mary chat about what it means to 'befriend grief'. This includes plenty of thoughts about how modern western culture shapes our beliefs about death and grief, with a healthy dose of how we try to counteractive some of the pressures to pathologize grief. In this episode, Mary mentions the follow books that have had a big impact on her grief lens: The Wild Edge of Sorrow The Smell of Rain on Dust Visit whatsyourgrief.com for hundreds of free articles we've written about ...
Feb 08, 2024•59 min
In this episode respond to a question about feeling relief after a death. But first, we talk about the recent Vox article The Race to Optimize Grief and the wild wild west of how AI is changing the way people mourn. Visit whatsyourgrief.com for hundreds of free articles we've written about all things grief and loss. You can read more about relief in grief here . Join the WYG Hub (it's our griever member community - think of it as our Patreon, but a zillion times better). It opens for new members...
Jan 31, 2024•36 min
In this episode we talk about a new article on the website that Litsa wrote about a concept she's termed "paradoxical grief". It's the often-confusing experience of grieving a loss that is both anticipated but also sudden and shocking. We talk about this experience that is both incredibly common and yet also rarely talked about in grief, in part because it can feel difficult to explain. You can check out the article here: https://whatsyourgrief.com/the-paradoxical-grief-of-anticipated-sudden-dea...
Jan 26, 2024•34 min
We kick off this episode with our review of the new Dan Levy Netflix film "Good Grief". If you haven't watched it and don't want any spoilers, jump into the episode closer to minute 27. In the rest of the episode we address a common question that comes up for grievers: with so much information out there about grief, why aren't people more grief-literate? Which of course begs the question, what is grief literacy? Should that be what we strive for? We're not so sure. The documentary Litsa mentione...
Jan 18, 2024•58 min
Come to the free Grieving in the New Year Webinar with Litsa this Sunday - sign up here -- https://whatsyourgrief.ck.page/432a2df1e7 This week we're talking about all the surprising challenges of facing the new year in grief. Everything from the passage of time to a Hub member question about what it means to 'live your best life' without fear of forgetting. The book Litsa mentioned in the episode is Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retrea in Difficult Times (though she hasn't read it, so don't t...
Jan 09, 2024•39 min
We're back with an episode about - you guessed it - grief at the holidays! Sure, we've talked about this basically every year here on the podcast. Yes, we have approximately a zillion articles about it on the website. AND we still have more to say on the topic! Because there is simply so much that the holidays bring up when it comes to loss. Other holiday grief support: For a lot more practical and creative support, watch our free webinar on coping with grief at the holidays here. Find tons of a...
Dec 20, 2023•31 min
In this episode we're going deep, talking about a very common but rarely discussed issue in grief: existential dread. Loss can make us face big questions about life and purpose. It makes us face our own mortality. This week we talk about what it's like to gaze long into the abyss. We reflect on our own discomfort with death (and our comfort with that discomfort). We don't have ads or a patreon. What helps us most is if you join the WYG hub for grief learning and connection. Open for summer cohor...
May 31, 2023•40 min
May is here and that means the looming grief triggers of Mother's Day and Father's Day are upon us. In this episode we cover all the basics - why it's hard, who is impacted (spoiler alert: it isn't just bereaved parents and bereaved children), and some suggestions for coping. We have tons of Mother's Day and Father's Day articles and support over on What's Your Grief. Start with some of our favorites. Other mentions from the episode: Honest Obituaries site. We don't have ads or a patreon. What h...
May 09, 2023•37 min
Anxiety is one of those grief experiences that is incredibly common and yet often catches people off guard. If you experienced difficult levels of anxiety before a loss, it can feel worse than ever as you navigate grief. And even if you never struggled with managing anxiety before, your loss can bring it up. In this episode we talk about the relationship between grief and anxiety, some common reasons for it, and offer some suggestions on how to manage it. Here are the two of the anxiety workbook...
Apr 12, 2023•47 min
This week we're reflecting on what's were doing here. Not in the existential sense (though we're certainly always angsting about that on some level). But in the sense that we're curious what you want to hear more of. We hope you'll give a listen and then answer these 3 (very simple) questions to help guide our future episodes. https://form.jotform.com/230677758851066 We don't have ads or a patreon. What helps us most is if you join the WYG member community for grief education, connection, accoun...
Mar 12, 2023•23 min
Though there have been significant losses in our lives in the decades since, each of us looks back to the deaths of a parent early in life as formative to our lives and specifically our work in grief. In this episode, we reflect on the ways those remote personal losses still surprise us - even now. We don't have ads or a patreon. What helps us most is if you join the WYG member community for grief education, connection, accountability, a grief book club & more. It is only $8.33/month if you ...
Feb 22, 2023•27 min
Litsa's flying solo this week, answering questions about grief submitted on Instagram. Talking about supporting partners, siblings, navigating grief conversations with friends, plushies, and more! We don't have ads or a patreon. What helps us most is if you join the WYG member community for grief education, connection, accountability, a grief book club & more. It is only $8.33/month if you join annually and it is a big part of what keeps the podcast going - https://whatsyourgrief.com/online-...
Jan 31, 2023•31 min
We're two days into 2023 and the theme for us has been . . . meh. That 'new year, new me' rhetoric gets old fast. In this episode we're talking about why moving into a new year can feel hard, especially for grievers. That means musing about what happiness is (and isn't), the appeal (and risks) of a 'fresh start', and living a 'because of' life instead of an 'in spite of' life. Read Eleanor's article that we mention here . Want to join our free webinar on coping with grief in the new year? Sign u...
Jan 14, 2023•28 min
Eleanor's been feeling pretty disconnected this holiday season. Though that might sound better than feeling terrible, it turns out that numbness and disconnection are their own version of unsettling. In this episode, we're tackling this common-but-difficult-to-describe experience in grief - feeling nothing and what to do about it. 2022 is winding down and we'd love your support to keep this podcast going in 2023. Please consider joining our What's Your Grief circle community - there are tons of ...
Dec 23, 2022•46 min
Relief is one of the more common grief emotions and yet it is one that people often feel ashamed to mention. So today we're talking about relief in grief - what it is, what it isn't, how to understand it, and personal experiences with it. About us: Eleanor Haley, MS and Litsa Williams, MA, LCSW-C are the co-founders of What's Your Grief, one of the largest online grief and bereavement support communities. Both are mental health professionals who have lived through significant death and non-death...
Dec 12, 2022•19 min
This week we were feeling the post-Thanksgiving emotional grief hangover. That means musings on family, holidays past and present, and the ways we grieve the things we assumed would always be part of our lives, but aren't. We don't have ads or a patreon. What helps us most is if you join the WYG member community for grief education, connection, accountability, a grief book club & more. It is only $10/month and it is a big part of what keeps the podcast going - https://whats-your-grief-commun...
Dec 01, 2022•28 min
This week we talk about yet another unexpected aspect of grieving - realizing that we in many ways grieve the past, the present, and the future. This expands on a few things we talked about in the nonfinite grief episode, so make sure you catch that one too. We don't have ads or a patreon. What helps us most is if you join the WYG member community for grief education, connection, accountability, a grief book club & more. It is only $10/month and it is a big part of what keeps the podcast goi...
Nov 10, 2022•42 min
This week we're answering a listener question about how to cope when the differences in family grief styles start to cause strain between family members. Join the WYG member community for grief education, connection, accountability, a grief book club & more. Plus, you can watch the live stream of us recording each week. $10/month and it is what keeps the podcast going - https://whats-your-grief-community.circle.so/ Our book is available anywhere you buy books: Amazon Barnes & Noble Books...
Nov 01, 2022•29 min
In this episode we talk about the little-discussed, but incredibly common experience of nonfinite grief. This is an experience that can happen after a death, but also after countless nondeath losses. Join the WYG member community for grief education, connection, accountability, a grief book club & more. Plus, you can watch the live stream of us recording each week. $10/month and it is what keeps the podcast going - https://whats-your-grief-community.circle.so/ Our book is available anywhere ...
Oct 25, 2022•31 min
This week we're discussing when and why grief can leave you with a mountain of ugly, mean, and messy feelings. Join the WYG member community for grief education, connection, accountability, a grief book club & more. Plus, you can watch the live stream of us recording each week. $10/month and it is what keeps the podcast going - https://whats-your-grief-community.circle.so/ Our book is available anywhere you buy books: Amazon Barnes & Noble Bookshop Books A Million Indiebound Hudson Books...
Oct 17, 2022•30 min
You've sent us your grief questions; we've done our best to share some answers. Or at least talk through some thoughts. How do you handle it when people make assumptions about your grief that are all wrong? How do you strengthen continued bonds? (And some rambling on sleep to boot). Join the WYG member community, where we have tons of grief education, support, connection, a book club. Plus, you can watch the live stream of us recording each week. $10/month and it is what keeps the podcast going ...
Oct 11, 2022•37 min
In this episode, Eleanor and Litsa talk about a question that has created some disagreement on social media recently: do we 'recover' from grief? Our book is available anywhere you buy books: Amazon Barnes & Noble Bookshop Books A Million Indiebound Hudson Booksellers Powell's Target To join the WYG member community, where we have tons of grief education, support, connection, a book club, and where you can watch the live stream of us recording and chat along - https://whats-your-grief-commun...
Oct 01, 2022•37 min
Our book is available for pre-order (and you can even get a free digital download companion thank you here for pre-ordering). Order it today for delivery on the release date - September 27, 2022: Amazon Barnes & Noble Bookshop Books A Million Indiebound Hudson Booksellers Powell's Target Become a WYG member community, where we have tons of grief education, support, connection, a book club, and where you can watch the live stream of us recording and chat along -- https://whats-your-grief-comm...
Sep 09, 2022•37 min
Our book is available for pre-order here (with a free digital workbook download if you pre-order!) To join the WYG member community, where we have tons of grief education, support, connection, a book club, and where you can watch the live stream of us recording and chat along - https://whats-your-grief-community.circle.so/ As always, follow us on social Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest TikTok...
Sep 02, 2022•38 min
Our book is available for pre-order here (with a free digital workbook download if you pre-order!) To join the WYG member community, where we have tons of grief education, support, connection, a book club, and where you can watch the live stream of us recording and chat along - https://whats-your-grief-community.circle.so/ Read more articles about grief and anger here. As always, follow us on social Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest TikTok...
Aug 26, 2022•43 min
Our book is available for pre-order here (with a free digital workbook download if you pre-order!) To join the WYG member community, where we have tons of grief education, support, connection, a book club, and where you can watch the live stream of us recording and chat along - https://whats-your-grief-community.circle.so/ Read more articles about the passage of time As always, follow us on social Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest TikTok...
Aug 19, 2022•40 min
Needless to say, it's been a while! But we're back with an exciting announcement. To join the WYG member community, where we have tons of grief education, support, connection, a book club, and where you can watch the live stream of us recording and chat along - https://whats-your-grief-community.circle.so/ - As always, follow us on social Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest TikTok...
Aug 19, 2022•9 min
After a death we do a lot of looking backwards. We think about what we should have known or done differently. We imagine a different world, and ideal world, if things had just taken another path. This becomes wound up in our grief - we beat ourselves up for the past based on things we can only know in the present. In this episode we talk through what that looks like, why we do it, and how to avoid getting sucked too far down the blackholes of counterfactual thinking and hindsight bias in grief....
Sep 18, 2020•33 min
