225. Navigating the Messy Middle of Grief Between Heartbreak and Healing

225. Navigating the Messy Middle of Grief Between Heartbreak and Healing

Drop me a message or voice note! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2429466/fan_mail/new] If you're past the early, gut-punch stage of grief but nowhere near "healed", you might be living in what I call the messy middle. And it's one of the most disorienting, confusing, and misunderstood seasons of the entire grief journey. Let's talk about that in-between season where the shock has worn off, you're functioning, you're showing up, but something still feels off and you're not quite sure who you are anymore. It's confusing, it's uncomfortable, and not enough people are talking about it. I'm getting real about why the messy middle is one of the most disorienting—and also very important—seasons of the grief journey. Because here's what I truly believe: healing is not a destination. It's a continuous process, and this in-between place? It's not a detour, it's the work. We dig into: ✨ What the messy middle actually looks and feels like, and why it's more valid than you think ✨ Why this phase is doing something really important in you, even when it doesn't feel that way ✨ The truth about healing that nobody tells grievers in this season ✨ Three mindset shifts to help you stop fighting the in-between and start working with it ✨ A simple grounding tool to come back to when the confusion gets loud ✨ Why curiosity about what's next isn't a betrayal of your grief If you've been feeling lost in the in-between, I hope this episode feels like a deep exhale. You're in one of the most quietly powerful seasons of your entire healing journey. Learn more about Letters of Light 💌✨ https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters [https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters] Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast] NEW! Letters of Light 💌✨ https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters [https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters] Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast [https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast] 📖 Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/ [https://taraaccardo.substack.com/] Connect with me: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/ [https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains [https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains] * Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/ [https://lossesbecomegains.com/] * Work with me one-on-one: https://lossesbecomegains.com/work-with-tara [https://lossesbecomegains.com/work-with-tara] * Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal [https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal] By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational ...

218. What Kind of Griever Are You? Understanding Your Grief Style and Why It Matters

Drop me a message or voice note! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2429466/fan_mail/new] In this episode, I'm diving into one of my favorite topics—grieving styles—and why understanding yours can be such a powerful part of your healing journey. Because here's what I want you to know before we even get started: there is no right way to grieve. There is only your way. I'm pulling from real research here, specifically the work of psychologists Terry Martin and Kenneth Doka, who identified a spectrum of grieving styles that explains so much about why we all move through loss so differently. Here's what we cover: ✨ The difference between intuitive and instrumental grieving, and why both are completely valid ✨ The five griever types: The Feeler, The Doer, The Blender, The Bottler, and The Spiraler, and how to identify which one you are ✨ How attachment theory connects to the way you experience and express grief ✨ Why some people bottle their grief inward, and how it can quietly show up in the body instead ✨ What's happening for the Spiraler, and why feeling stuck or consumed by grief doesn't mean you're failing ✨ How to use your grief style as a map, not a box, so you can start giving yourself exactly what you need ✨ A Soul Shift prompt to close the episode and carry into your week If you've ever looked at someone else's grief and thought how are they doing that?—or looked at your own and thought what is wrong with me?—this episode is for you. Learn more about Letters of Light 💌✨ https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters [https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters] Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast] NEW! Letters of Light 💌✨ https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters [https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters] Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast [https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast] 📖 Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/ [https://taraaccardo.substack.com/] Connect with me: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/ [https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains [https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains] * Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/ [https://lossesbecomegains.com/] * Work with me one-on-one: https://lossesbecomegains.com/work-with-tara [https://lossesbecomegains.com/work-with-tara] * Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal [https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal] By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational ...

215. Podcast Update! + The Sacred Pause: Giving Yourself Permission to Pivot After Loss

Drop me a message or voice note! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2429466/fan_mail/new] Have you ever found yourself doing all the things, showing up, checking the boxes, keeping the pace, but quietly wondering if something needs to give? If you've been feeling that pull to pause, pivot, or finally make room for the thing that's been calling to you... this episode is for you. This week, I'm getting really real with you. I'm sharing a personal update about Mourning Sips & Soul Shifts—and more importantly, the why behind it. Because the honest truth is, this decision didn't come from nowhere.  It came from a lot of self-reflection, some really vulnerable conversations with myself, and the three key reasons I made this decision and how I got here that I think you're going to deeply relate to—grief journey or not. Here's what we're getting into: ✨ The announcement: what's changing with this podcast and why ✨ Burnout in grief: what it actually looks like (hint: it's not always a breakdown) ✨ The pressure to keep producing, and why consistent output means nothing when you're running on empty ✨ Embracing slowness in a culture that glorifies busy. and what grief has taught me about truly living vs. just moving through life ✨ Fear disguised as logic: how many of us stay stuck in things that no longer serve us because change feels scary ✨ The exciting things I'm making room for, including a book I am no longer putting off ✨ A gentle invitation for you to ask yourself: do you need to take a sacred pause somewhere in your life, too? Where does your energy need to be reallocated?  This episode is for the person who has been going, going, going... not because they love the pace, but because slowing down feels terrifying. The one who has been holding on tight to everything they can control after loss took so much from them. The one who knows something needs to shift, but hasn't quite given themselves permission yet. If you see yourself in this, I know you'll get so much from this episode. Learn more about Letters of Light 💌✨ https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters [https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters] Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast] NEW! Letters of Light 💌✨ https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters [https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters] Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast [https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast] 📖 Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/ [https://taraaccardo.substack.com/] Connect with me: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/ [https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains [https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains] * Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/ [https://lossesbecomegains.com/] * Work with me one-on-one: https://lossesbecomegains.com/work-with-tara [https://lossesbecomegains.com/work-with-tara] * Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal [https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal] By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational ...

213. Grief Brain: Why You're So Forgetful and Foggy After Loss

Drop me a message or voice note! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2429466/fan_mail/new] Have you been forgetting things more than usual since your loss? Walking into rooms and blanking. Missing appointments. Re-reading the same sentence five times. Feeling like your brain just isn't working the way it used to? You're not irresponsible. You're not "losing it." You're experiencing something called grief brain, and it's more common than anyone talks about. In this episode, I'm breaking down what's actually happening inside your brain when you're grieving, why the fog and forgetfulness make complete sense, and how to gently support yourself through it. Here's what we're getting into: ✨ What grief brain is and why so many grievers quietly struggle with it ✨ What's actually happening in your brain and nervous system during loss ✨ The shame that comes with feeling "slower" than you used to be — and the reframe you need ✨ 6 gentle ways to support yourself through the fog ✨ A closing reflection to help you offer yourself a little more grace this week This episode is for the griever who has been silently criticizing themselves for not keeping up, not remembering, not functioning the way they used to. The one who wonders if something is wrong with them. The one who just needs someone to say: this is normal, and it won't be like this forever. Learn more about Letters of Light 💌✨ https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters [https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters] Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast] NEW! Letters of Light 💌✨ https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters [https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters] Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast [https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast] 📖 Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/ [https://taraaccardo.substack.com/] Connect with me: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/ [https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains [https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains] * Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/ [https://lossesbecomegains.com/] * Work with me one-on-one: https://lossesbecomegains.com/work-with-tara [https://lossesbecomegains.com/work-with-tara] * Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal [https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal] By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational ...

211. Ask Tara: Supporting a Sick Parent and What to Know Before They Die

Drop me a message or voice note! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2429466/fan_mail/new] Have you ever wished someone would just tell you the truth about what it's like to lose a parent, and what to actually do while they're still here? That's exactly what this Ask Tara episode is. I'm answering two questions from a listener who has already lost one parent and is now watching the other navigate a serious illness. These are the questions I wish I had been asked when I was in the thick of it... and the answers I wish someone had given me. Here's what I'm getting into: ✨ Why being genuinely, fully present with your sick parent is one of the most important things you can do, and what that actually looks like ✨ Why it's okay—and necessary—to take guilt-free breaks, even when it feels wrong ✨ How to capture more than just photos: the sensory memories you'll be grateful you held onto ✨ How to have meaningful conversations with your parent without it feeling like a race against time ✨ Why anticipatory grief, as painful as it is, gives you something sudden loss doesn't ✨ What I wish I had known about the emptiness, the isolation, and losing your footing after both parents are gone ✨ Why grief is non-linear, and why the "firsts" will hit harder than you expect ✨ How survival mode quietly limits your emotional capacity, and why grace is the only right response ✨ Why your identity, your relationships, and your sense of self may all shift, and what's possible on the other side This episode is for the griever who is still in the middle of it. The one caring for a parent while quietly bracing for the loss that's coming. The one who has already said goodbye to one parent and is terrified of saying goodbye to another. The one who wants someone to just be honest with them about what this is really like... and what to do with it. Learn more about Letters of Light 💌✨ https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters [https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters] Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast] NEW! Letters of Light 💌✨ https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters [https://lossesbecomegains.com/letters] Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast [https://buymeacoffee.com/lifewithgriefpodcast] 📖 Life Beyond Grief Substack: https://taraaccardo.substack.com/ [https://taraaccardo.substack.com/] Connect with me: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/ [https://www.instagram.com/lossesbecomegains/] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/lifewithgriefpodcast/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains [https://www.facebook.com/losses.become.gains] * Website: https://lossesbecomegains.com/ [https://lossesbecomegains.com/] * Work with me one-on-one: https://lossesbecomegains.com/work-with-tara [https://lossesbecomegains.com/work-with-tara] * Shop the LBG Daily Journal: https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal [https://lossesbecomegains.com/journal] By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Tara Accardo, or used by Tara Accardo with permission. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational ...