Grief & Milestones/Celebrations // How I Cope & What I’ve Learned

Grief can feel especially heavy during milestones and celebrations. Whether it’s a birthday, wedding, anniversary, or holiday, these moments often highlight our loved one and our grief even more.

In this episode, I share my own experience of navigating grief during my daughter’s first birthday and the insights I’ve found through The Grieving Brain by Mary-Frances O’Connor. Her research on how the brain processes grief helped me understand why milestones make grief feel so raw—and why it’s normal for these moments to trigger waves of sadness.

We’ll explore:

• Why milestones and celebrations intensify grief

• How the brain “maps” loved ones who are no longer here

• Why acceptance isn’t the goal—integration is

• What I’ve learned about coping with grief during milestones

• Gentle practices that help me care for myself in these tender moments

If you’ve ever wondered how to deal with grief and loss of a loved one during big life events, this episode offers compassion, clarity, and gentle reminders that you’re not alone.

Join the email community //

Get reflections, insights, and practical tools to support your personal development journey—delivered straight to your inbox.

👉 https://selfdevelopmentcollective.com/email-sign-up/

Say hi //

TikTok → https://tiktok.com/@selfdevelopmentcollect

Instagram → https://instagram.com/selfdevelopmentcollective/

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/selfdevelopmentcollective/

In this episode, I sit down with my school friend Jade to unpack her entire ADHD diagnosis journey: what finally prompted her to seek answers, the childhood signs she now recognises, and how her life has shifted both before and after putting a name on her experience.

🔸 What You’ll Hear:

• The subtle signs in school and uni

• What led to the decision for a diagnosis in adulthood and motherhood

• How Jade navigated the assessment process: gathering school reports, pushing past gender bias, and finding a neuro-affirming psychiatrist

• Life post diagnosis

• A guest perspective on what an ADHD diagnosis really means—and how naming it can transform your relationships, work, and self-understanding

Whether you’re supporting someone with ADHD or exploring a diagnosis for yourself, Jade’s candid story offers support. It's a great way to explore what the process and experience of an adult ADHD diagnosis can look like.

Join our email community //

Get reflections, insights, and practical tools delivered straight to your inbox—because you don’t have to navigate this alone.

👉 https://selfdevelopmentcollective.com/email-sign-up/

Say hi //

TikTok → https://tiktok.com/@selfdevelopmentcollect

Instagram → https://instagram.com/selfdevelopmentcollective/

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/selfdevelopmentcollective/

Going through a friendship breakup can feel even more confusing than a romantic one. The signs are subtle, the emotions complicated—and the grief? Often overlooked. In this episode, we talk about the quiet unraveling of friendships that once felt like home, and what to do when they no longer feel right.

If you’ve been feeling emotionally drained, anxious before seeing someone, or like you have to shrink yourself around a friend, this episode will help you explore whether it’s time to let go. I share my own friendship breakup story, the emotional signs I ignored, and how life transitions—like motherhood, grief, or personal growth—can shift our capacity to connect.

This is for you if you’re navigating the pain of losing a friend, wondering what’s changed, and seeking compassionate, real-talk relationship advice—without blame or guilt.

🔸 What You’ll Hear:

• Why some friendships fade even when there’s no big fight

• Signs of emotional disconnection and subtle burnout

• The difference between toxic friendships and natural drift

• How capacity, expectations, and identity shifts create change

• Reflective questions to help you let go with love

Whether you’re in the middle of a friendship breakup or just starting to question a connection, you’re not alone. This conversation is your permission to honor where you are, and reclaim space for friendships that align with who you are now.

Join the email community //

Get reflections, insights, and practical tools to support your personal development journey—delivered straight to your inbox.

👉 https://selfdevelopmentcollective.com/email-sign-up/

Say hi //

TikTok → https://tiktok.com/@selfdevelopmentcollect

Instagram → https://instagram.com/selfdevelopmentcollective/

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/selfdevelopmentcollective/