308. Suicide Loss and Healing: A Widows Unfiltered Interview with Jo Kleinsorge

Are you filling every hour of your day since your partner died?   Maybe well-meaning friends have advised you to “just stay busy” or “give it time” as if these are magical solutions to grief. While staying busy can provide temporary relief, it might actually be keeping you stuck in your grief journey without you even realizing it.   Staying busy can feel like a way to maintain control when everything else feels unpredictable. But there’s a crucial difference between healthy distraction and avoidance. Today, I’m exploring when busyness supports us and when it’s a form of avoidance that takes us further from the life we want to build next.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/309

What happens when the life you thought was perfect suddenly shatters?   In this week's episode, I sit down with Jo Kleinsorge, who lost her high school sweetheart to suicide two years ago. Their life seemed picture-perfect on the surface - financially stable, healthy kids, world travelers, surrounded by great friends. But in an instant, everything changed.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/308

Do you find yourself trying to control everything in your life since losing your person?   If so, I want you to know that this is completely normal, especially after loss. Our need to control often comes from a deep desire to feel safe when our world has been turned upside down.   But here's the truth: trying to control what we can't control is exhausting. It's like trying to hold onto sand - the tighter we grip, the more it slips through our fingers.   In this episode, I explore why we feel compelled to control everything after loss, the hidden costs of this behavior, and how to find true power without control.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/307

Do you look outside at the blooming flowers and singing birds and wonder why you don't feel as bright and cheerful as the season suggests you should?   You're not alone.   Sometimes spring brings up a very different kind of tension - when everything outside looks light and beautiful, but inside, it feels heavy and tender. Maybe even dark.   In this week's episode, I'm getting vulnerable and sharing my own experience with this seasonal disconnect, along with some gentle reminders that I think we all need to hear.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/306

How often are you pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion?   For many widows, juggling work, children, household responsibilities, and grief creates a perfect storm where taking breaks seems impossible.    In this episode, I share the warning signs that your body and mind desperately need rest, how to redefine what a "break" actually means, and why making rest non-negotiable is essential for your wellbeing.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/305

Do you ever feel like your grief progress is too slow? That the little things you accomplish each day don't really matter in the grand scheme of things? I'm here to tell you that every small win counts, especially when you're grieving.   In this episode, we dive into the power of celebrating small wins and how they can help build momentum and confidence during the grief journey. You'll learn why our brains are wired to focus on the negative and how we can train them to notice and celebrate the positive instead.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/304

I open up about my own recent experience with secondary loss, feeling the impact of recent plane crashes that involved the same types of aircraft my late husband Hugo used to work on. It's a stark reminder that grief doesn't have an expiration date, and secondary losses can hit us when we least expect them.   If you've been struggling with vanishing friends in the wake of your loss, know that you are not alone.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/303

Letting go can be incredibly challenging after loss. It may feel like a betrayal to release things tied to your partner's memory. However, holding on to what no longer aligns with the life you want to live can come at a high emotional cost.   Learn why endings are essential for growth and how to take small steps toward letting go of what feels heavy.    Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/302

Emotional eating is incredibly common, especially for those dealing with grief. It's not just about food either - maybe for you it's over drinking, over scrolling, over working, or over shopping.   We're going to talk about why we eat our grief, how to understand what's driving this behavior, and a simple shift that can change how you respond to these cravings.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/301

I want to reflect on what I have learned in the last 100 episodes, building on the lessons I shared back in episode 200.   Let's dive into eight powerful lessons that these past 100 episodes have taught me about grief. From understanding that grief isn't something to "get over" to recognizing the resilience within each of us, these insights have the potential to shift your perspective and support you on your journey.   Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/300