353. First Year as a Widow: What You Weren't Told

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:Join Grief Essentials!Designed especially for widows, Grief Essentials offers the perfect combination of powerful tools and support, along with accurate information about grief, so widowhood gets easier. Click here to find out more: https://the-widowed-mom-podcast.captivate.fm/griefessentialsJoin Grief Essentials!

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:Join Grief Essentials!Designed especially for widows, Grief Essentials offers the perfect combination of powerful tools and support, along with accurate information about grief, so widowhood gets easier. Click here to find out more: https://the-widowed-mom-podcast.captivate.fm/griefessentialsJoin Grief Essentials!

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:Join Grief Essentials!Designed especially for widows, Grief Essentials offers the perfect combination of powerful tools and support, along with accurate information about grief, so widowhood gets easier. Click here to find out more: https://the-widowed-mom-podcast.captivate.fm/griefessentialsJoin Grief Essentials!

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:Join Grief Essentials!Designed especially for widows, Grief Essentials offers the perfect combination of powerful tools and support, along with accurate information about grief, so widowhood gets easier. Click here to find out more: https://the-widowed-mom-podcast.captivate.fm/griefessentialsJoin Grief Essentials!

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:Join Grief Essentials!Designed especially for widows, Grief Essentials offers the perfect combination of powerful tools and support, along with accurate information about grief, so widowhood gets easier. Click here to find out more: https://the-widowed-mom-podcast.captivate.fm/griefessentialsJoin Grief Essentials!

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:Join Grief Essentials!Designed especially for widows, Grief Essentials offers the perfect combination of powerful tools and support, along with accurate information about grief, so widowhood gets easier. Click here to find out more: https://the-widowed-mom-podcast.captivate.fm/griefessentialsJoin Grief Essentials!

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:Join Grief Essentials!Designed especially for widows, Grief Essentials offers the perfect combination of powerful tools and support, along with accurate information about grief, so widowhood gets easier. Click here to find out more: https://the-widowed-mom-podcast.captivate.fm/griefessentialsJoin Grief Essentials!

If life feels harder in your body since your person died, if you notice yourself feeling grumpy, exhausted, numb, or overwhelmed in ways that don't always make sense, you’re not imagining it. When your person dies, your nervous system loses something foundational that you may not have even realized you had. Suddenly, things that used to feel easy feel hard, everything feels out of whack, and we don't feel at home in our bodies the way we're used to. Join me this week as I help you understand what's happening inside your nervous system after loss, how to recognize different nervous system states when they show up, and how to support yourself in ways that actually help. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/348 Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifecoachkrista/Mentioned in this episode:Join Grief Essentials!Designed especially for widows, Grief Essentials offers the perfect combination of powerful tools and support, along with accurate information about grief, so widowhood gets easier. Click here to find out more: https://the-widowed-mom-podcast.captivate.fm/griefessentialsJoin Grief Essentials!

What happens when a teenager loses a parent? In this episode, I sit down with Aubrey Galyon, daughter of longtime Mom Goes On member and coach Jamie Galyon, to hear her perspective on losing her dad when she was just nine years old. Aubrey's journey through grief led her to write a poetry book called Prevernal Winds, which captures her experience from diagnosis through the intensity of early grief to learning to live with loss. Listen in as Aubrey shares openly about the confusion she felt during her dad’s illness and passing, the guilt she carried about how she spent her time with him, and what actually helped her process her grief over the years. Whether you're a widowed mom wondering how to support your teenager or simply want to understand what grief can look like through a young person's eyes, this conversation offers a rare and valuable perspective. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/347 Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifecoachkrista/ Check out Aubrey's poetry book here: https://www.agsprouting.com/body-of-work/prevernal-windsMentioned in this episode:Join Grief Essentials!Designed especially for widows, Grief Essentials offers the perfect combination of powerful tools and support, along with accurate information about grief, so widowhood gets easier. Click here to find out more: https://the-widowed-mom-podcast.captivate.fm/griefessentialsJoin Grief Essentials!

When you've lost your person, the question of whether you're ready to love again can stir up so many emotions all at once.In this episode, I explore this tender question that might be quietly lingering in your mind, whether you've said it out loud or not.Join me this week to discover why feeling sad about your person's death doesn't mean you're not ready for another relationship, and how wanting love has nothing to do with how much you loved your person. Most importantly, you'll learn what readiness actually looks like so you can answer this question in a way that feels aligned with who you want to be.Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/346 Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifecoachkrista/Mentioned in this episode:Join Grief Essentials!Designed especially for widows, Grief Essentials offers the perfect combination of powerful tools and support, along with accurate information about grief, so widowhood gets easier. Click here to find out more: https://the-widowed-mom-podcast.captivate.fm/griefessentialsJoin Grief Essentials!