285. Handling Holiday Triggers as a Widow

The Widow Confidence Reset is a free 3-day live event where I’ll teach you why confidence drops after loss, why your brain keeps making you second-guess yourself, and how to begin trusting yourself again.It’s simple, practical, and designed to help you feel steadier and clearer. Click here to save your spot: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/reset

Are you ready to date again but feeling overwhelmed by the process? In this episode, you’ll meet Jennie Young: the professor and rhetorician turning the dating world upside down with her Burned Haystack Dating Method. Jennie explains why this method works, offering clear steps on how to identify dangerous patterns and why blocking unwanted matches can help you find your ideal partner. Join us this week to learn how to stop getting stuck in the “ick” of dating apps and instead focus on eliminating red flags with confidence. By the end of the episode, you’ll have a solid understanding of how to approach online dating with less anxiety, more clarity, and greater safety. Whether you’re ready to date or just considering it, Jennie’s method will give you the tools to navigate the dating world with confidence. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/357 Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifecoachkrista/ Check out Jennie's work here: https://www.jennieyoung.com/Mentioned in this episode:Save your spot for The Widow Conference Reset!The Widow Confidence Reset is a free 3-day live event where I’ll teach you why confidence drops after loss, why your brain keeps making you second-guess yourself, and how to begin trusting yourself again. It’s simple, practical, and designed to help you feel steadier and clearer. Save your spot here: https://the-widowed-mom-podcast.captivate.fm/resetSave your spot at The Widow Confidence Reset!

What does a grief life coach actually do, and could it change how you experience grief? If you’ve ever wondered whether coaching is just listening, advice-giving, or something more, this episode pulls back the curtain. In this episode, I explain what grief life coaching really is (and what it isn’t). Grief isn’t a problem to fix. It’s a natural response to loss. As a grief life coach, my role is to help widows understand their emotions, make sense of their thoughts, and navigate life after loss with more clarity and less unnecessary suffering. Join me today to hear how grief coaching helps you allow emotions instead of avoiding them, understand how your brain shapes your experience, reduce added suffering, and begin rebuilding a meaningful life. I also walk you through what actually happens in a coaching session and why group coaching can be so powerful in helping widows feel less alone. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/356 Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifecoachkrista/Mentioned in this episode:Save your spot for The Widow Conference Reset!The Widow Confidence Reset is a free 3-day live event where I’ll teach you why confidence drops after loss, why your brain keeps making you second-guess yourself, and how to begin trusting yourself again. It’s simple, practical, and designed to help you feel steadier and clearer. Save your spot here: https://the-widowed-mom-podcast.captivate.fm/resetSave your spot at The Widow Confidence Reset!

Have you noticed yourself avoiding everyone lately, wondering if something might be wrong? After the loss of your person, even simple social interactions can suddenly feel overwhelming. If invitations feel heavy, texts go unanswered, or you just want more time alone, you might worry that you're isolating too much or doing grief “wrong.” Join me this week as I dive into what it really means when you're avoiding everyone during grief and why it’s far more common and often healthier than you might think. You’ll learn the three different experiences we often label as isolation, how to tell whether avoiding everyone is nourishing solitude or protective avoidance, and how to check in with yourself without judgment. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/355 Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifecoachkrista/Mentioned in this episode:Save your spot for The Widow Conference Reset!The Widow Confidence Reset is a free 3-day live event where I’ll teach you why confidence drops after loss, why your brain keeps making you second-guess yourself, and how to begin trusting yourself again. It’s simple, practical, and designed to help you feel steadier and clearer. Save your spot here: https://the-widowed-mom-podcast.captivate.fm/resetSave your spot at The Widow Confidence Reset!

Dating a widow can be a complex yet rewarding journey, and it's often not what you expect. This week, I sit down with Brad Judy, the husband of Jamie Galyon, a longtime member of our Mom Goes On community. Brad shares his experience of dating a widow, navigating the unique challenges that come with grief, blending families, and the ongoing presence of a lost loved one. Join us on this episode as Brad opens up about the challenges, vulnerabilities, and unexpected moments of grace that come with dating a widow. You’ll hear about the emotional complexities of blending families, honoring the memory of a lost spouse, and understanding grief’s non-linear path. Brad also offers advice for others in relationships with widows, emphasizing the importance of patience, open communication, and embracing the shared space of love and loss. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/354 Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifecoachkrista/ Mentioned in this episode:Save your spot for The Widow Conference Reset!The Widow Confidence Reset is a free 3-day live event where I’ll teach you why confidence drops after loss, why your brain keeps making you second-guess yourself, and how to begin trusting yourself again. It’s simple, practical, and designed to help you feel steadier and clearer. Save your spot here: https://the-widowed-mom-podcast.captivate.fm/resetSave your spot at The Widow Confidence Reset!

I used to think grief was something you “get through,” but what I’ve learned, and what I share in this episode, is that the first year isn’t about hitting milestones. It’s about your nervous system adjusting to a new reality you never chose. In this episode, I break down what many widows aren’t told ahead of time: grief is deeply physical; your body reacts; decision-making gets harder; confidence feels shaky; and relationships shift in all directions. Join me this week to hear why time alone doesn’t heal, why comparing your grief to a timeline sets you up for self-judgment, and questions to ask yourself to figure out what will actually support you during the first year. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/353 Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifecoachkrista/Mentioned in this episode:Save your spot for The Widow Conference Reset!The Widow Confidence Reset is a free 3-day live event where I’ll teach you why confidence drops after loss, why your brain keeps making you second-guess yourself, and how to begin trusting yourself again. It’s simple, practical, and designed to help you feel steadier and clearer. Save your spot here: https://the-widowed-mom-podcast.captivate.fm/resetSave your spot at The Widow Confidence Reset!

Are you searching for the right books for widows, hoping one of them will finally show you how to “do grief” the right way? I remember desperately wanting a roadmap or something that would tell me how to get to the end of grief successfully. In this episode, I share my top eight books for widows that have shaped how I understand grief, resilience, and growth in the nearly ten years since Hugo died. Some offer validation and comfort. Others explain the brain science and body responses behind grief. A few gently challenge us to think differently about suffering, resilience, and post-traumatic growth. Tune in this week to learn which books are best for early grief, which ones normalize what’s happening in your brain and body, and which ones explore resilience and growth without toxic positivity. Most importantly, I explain why reading about grief and learning to live with grief are two very different things, and why nothing has gone wrong if you’ve read all the books and still feel stuck. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/352 Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifecoachkrista/Mentioned in this episode:Save your spot for The Widow Conference Reset!The Widow Confidence Reset is a free 3-day live event where I’ll teach you why confidence drops after loss, why your brain keeps making you second-guess yourself, and how to begin trusting yourself again. It’s simple, practical, and designed to help you feel steadier and clearer. Save your spot here: https://the-widowed-mom-podcast.captivate.fm/resetSave your spot at The Widow Confidence Reset!

Have you ever wondered if it’s selfish to want more for your life after your person dies? If the desire to date again, set boundaries, rest, or feel joy brings up guilt or heaviness, you are not alone. In this episode, I unpack the question so many widows quietly wrestle with: Is it selfish to want to move on? Tune in this week as I help you redefine what selfish really means, recognize internalized conditioning, and reclaim your agency without shame. You’ll hear why the phrase “moving on” can feel triggering, why “moving forward” is different, and how the fear of being selfish is often rooted in lifelong social conditioning, not truth. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/351 Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifecoachkrista/Mentioned in this episode:Save your spot for The Widow Conference Reset!The Widow Confidence Reset is a free 3-day live event where I’ll teach you why confidence drops after loss, why your brain keeps making you second-guess yourself, and how to begin trusting yourself again. It’s simple, practical, and designed to help you feel steadier and clearer. Save your spot here: https://the-widowed-mom-podcast.captivate.fm/resetSave your spot at The Widow Confidence Reset!

Have you been wondering why you can’t think clearly, remember simple things, or focus the way you used to since your person died? If grief has left you feeling foggy, slow, or disconnected from your own brain, you’re not alone—and nothing has gone wrong. In this episode, I’m talking about grief brain, often called widow fog, and why brain fog is such a common experience after loss. This experience is not a sign that you’re broken or failing at grief. Your brain is doing exactly what it was designed to do in the face of a profound rupture in safety. Tune in this week as I help you understand why grief feels like brain fog, how self-judgment makes it harder, and what truly helps. You’ll learn practical, compassionate ways to support your nervous system, reduce unnecessary suffering, and trust that clarity will return without forcing, fixing, or pushing yourself before you’re ready. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/350 Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifecoachkrista/Mentioned in this episode:Save your spot for The Widow Conference Reset!The Widow Confidence Reset is a free 3-day live event where I’ll teach you why confidence drops after loss, why your brain keeps making you second-guess yourself, and how to begin trusting yourself again. It’s simple, practical, and designed to help you feel steadier and clearer. Save your spot here: https://the-widowed-mom-podcast.captivate.fm/resetSave your spot at The Widow Confidence Reset!

Does the thought of your wedding anniversary send a wave of dread through your body? You’re not alone.For many widows, the anniversary of their wedding can feel even harder than the day their partner passed. But no matter what you’re feeling - dread, sadness, confusion - there are no rules for how to experience the day. Tune in this week as I guide you through the emotional landscape of your wedding anniversary and offer practical tools to survive it with kindness toward yourself.Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/349 Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifecoachkrista/Mentioned in this episode:Save your spot for The Widow Conference Reset!The Widow Confidence Reset is a free 3-day live event where I’ll teach you why confidence drops after loss, why your brain keeps making you second-guess yourself, and how to begin trusting yourself again. It’s simple, practical, and designed to help you feel steadier and clearer. Save your spot here: https://the-widowed-mom-podcast.captivate.fm/resetSave your spot at The Widow Confidence Reset!