Life can feel "griefy". You know what I mean! Some days are heavy in a way that's hard to explain — not a crisis, exactly, just "griefy".

And then there are the moments a wave hits out of nowhere: a song, a habit, reaching for the phone to tell them something, or nothing you can even pinpoint.

In this episode, we talk honestly about both kinds of days — the low, gray-cloud heaviness that settles in for hours, and the sudden waves that can knock you off your feet. You'll hear why grief doesn't move like a project with a finish line, and why a hard day doesn't mean you're grieving wrong.

We cover practical ways to get through the heavier days: lowering the bar for what counts as "getting through it," keeping one small anchor of routine, asking for specific help instead of a vague offer, and understanding why grief shows up in your body — the exhaustion, the forgetfulness, the disrupted sleep — just as much as in your mind.

Then we walk through a simple four-step practice designed for the exact moment a wave of grief hits and you feel overwhelmed:

1. Name it, don't fight it
2. Put your feet on the ground
3. Breathe out longer than you breathe in
4. Let the wave move through, then do one small next thing

It's short enough to remember in the grocery store, at your desk, or lying awake at 3 a.m. — anywhere grief catches you off guard.

This episode is for anyone who's lost a spouse or partner and is looking for something steadier than "just give it time." It won't make the grief disappear, and it isn't meant to. It's meant to help you stay standing inside it — one wave, one small next step, at a time.

If grief is showing up often, lasting a long time, or making it hard to function, we also talk about when it's worth bringing to a grief counselor or therapist — not because anything is wrong with you, but because what you're carrying deserves support sized to match it.

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Questions? Email me at jen@widow180.com