Every day can feel tough after the death of a loved one, but there are certain days such as birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays that can evoke even more magnified and intense feelings of grief.  It's common for people to feel worry and anxiety over the expected wave of emotion that these special days will bring.  Although there are many different ways to cope with grief and special days, we generally believe the best thing a person can do is to think ahead and plan how they will spend the day.

In this episode of the What's Your Grief Podcast we discuss different types of days and events that might cause a person experiencing grief to feel anxiety and worry; the decision whether or not to recognize and participate in the day or event; and proactive ways to plan and cope with the expected and unexpected grief triggers experienced on these days.  

Show Notes:  www.whatsyourgrief.com/fifteen

The practice of finding gratitude is a simple and accessible coping tool that can help to shift your attitude and perspective.  Yet, when you feel like life is awful and unfair, it can seem impossible to find anything to be grateful for.

In this episode the What's Your Grief girls discuss their realistic approach to using gratitude.  They acknowledge there are days when looking for gratitude seems like an obnoxious and futile practice, but encourage you to try and offer concrete ways to search for gratitude that suit different personality types and mindsets.  

Show Notes: www.whatsyourgrief.com/fourteen

The death of someone you love can create a ripple effect of losses or secondary losses.  From loss of faith to loss of financial security, secondary losses are profound and require coping and adjustment on the part of the bereaved.  When conceptualizing grief, many people don't take secondary loss into consideration resulting in confusion and struggle when these losses occur days, weeks and months after the death of a loved one.

In this episode the mental health professionals behind the grief website What's Your Grief attempt to define secondary loss and explain common examples.  Additionally, they shed light on the ways in which secondary loss can cause confusion for grievers and those who seek to support them and explain why these losses can be taxing for all involved.

Show Notes:  www.whatsyourgrief.com/thirteen