Episode 12: Coping With the Pain – When Grief Leads to Escaping

Episode 12: Coping With the Pain – When Grief Leads to Escaping

Grief doesn't always look like tears. Sometimes it looks like staying busy so you don't have to think. Sometimes it looks like drinking a little more than usual, scrolling for hours, overworking, withdrawing from the people you love, or trying to numb the pain in whatever way you can. In this episode of Grieving Greatly, we explore one of the most misunderstood parts of grief: how coping can slowly become escaping. Avoidance isn't a sign that you don't care. More often, it's a sign that the pain feels too overwhelming to face. Our brains are wired to protect us, but when temporary protection becomes our long-term strategy, it can keep us stuck and disconnected from the life we want to rebuild. In this episode, we discuss: • Why grief often leads to unhealthy coping strategies. • The difference between coping and escaping. • How shame and isolation can deepen grief. • Why healing doesn't require perfection—it begins with one small step. • Practical, compassionate ways to reconnect with yourself when you feel overwhelmed. If you've ever wondered why you're struggling to move forward after loss, or if someone you love seems to be "avoiding" their grief, this conversation is for you. Remember, healing isn't about never struggling. It's about knowing you don't have to struggle alone. If this episode resonates with you, please follow, rate, and share Grieving Greatly to help others know they're not alone in their grief. You are enough. You will never be too much. — Jen Connors 0431212575

Episode 11 — Anniversaries, Birthdays, and the Dates That Hurt Most

Some of the hardest days in grief… are the ones you see coming. Birthdays. Anniversaries. Holidays. The funeral date. The last conversation. The dates that once meant celebration—and now carry something completely different. In this episode of Grieving Greatly, we talk about anticipatory grief, how grief keeps time, how your body may react before your mind is ready, and why the “build-up” weeks can be as painful (or more) than the day itself. We also explore how different people grieve the same loss differently, and how there is no right way to mark these dates—only what feels manageable and true for you. You are not broken. Your nervous system is remembering. And you can survive the day, one moment at a time. If this episode brings up anything difficult, please reach out for support: * Grief Australia: 1800 642 066 * Lifeline (Australia): 13 11 14 * Or contact the host directly: 0431 212 575 Harrys Helping Hands Grief & Loss Counselling - Jen Connors 0431212575

Episode 10 - Learning to Live Again (Without Leaving Them Behind)

One of the hardest parts of grief is learning how to keep living when someone you love is no longer physically here. For many grieving people, moving forward can feel like a betrayal. We worry that healing means forgetting. We fear that laughter, joy, new experiences, or future plans somehow mean we are leaving our loved one behind. But what if moving forward isn't about letting go at all? In this episode, I share my own journey of learning to live after the loss of my son Harry and the powerful realisation that healing doesn't require us to leave our loved ones behind. Instead, we can carry them with us in the way we love, the choices we make, the memories we honour, and the people we become. In this episode we explore:  • Why moving forward can feel frightening after loss  • The guilt many people experience when life begins to feel lighter  • Continuing bonds and staying connected to those we love  • How grief changes our relationship with the person who died rather than ending it  • Ways to carry their memory forward while still embracing life If you've ever worried that healing means forgetting, this episode is for you. Because love doesn't end when someone dies. It simply changes form. Harrys Helping Hands Grief & Loss Counselling Jen Connors 0431212575

Episode 9 - Keeping Their Memory Alive Without Falling Apart

In this deeply personal episode of Grieving Greatly Podcast, Jen talks about one of the most painful and confusing parts of grief — how to keep the memory of someone you love alive without becoming completely consumed by the pain of missing them. Through her own experience after losing Harry, Jen explores the fear of forgetting, the heartbreak of remembering, and the complicated push and pull many grieving people experience between wanting to hold on tightly to memories while also desperately needing relief from the pain. This episode gently explores:  • the fear of losing memories after loss  • why photos, videos, and reminders can feel both comforting and unbearable  • the guilt many people feel when grief begins to soften  • how grief and love can exist together  • learning to move in and out of grief safely  • ways to stay connected to loved ones without remaining trapped in suffering With warmth, honesty, and therapeutic insight, this conversation offers reassurance to anyone struggling to carry love forward after loss. Because healing does not mean forgetting. 🕊️ This episode is for anyone grieving someone deeply loved. Harrys Helping Hands Grief & Loss Counselling - Jen Connors - 0431212575 #GrievingGreatly #GriefPodcast #ChildLoss #BereavementSupport #HealingAfterLoss #GriefSupport #TraumaticGrief #GriefJourney

Episode 8 - Who Am I Now? Identity After Loss

When you lose someone you love…  you don’t just lose them. You can lose parts of yourself too. In this deeply personal episode of Grieving Greatly, I share the reality of identity after loss — the quiet, often unspoken grief of losing the version of yourself that existed alongside the person you loved. From the loss of everyday roles…  to the painful reminders in ordinary moments…  to the question so many carry— “Who am I now?” This episode gently explores: *  The loss of identity and role after grief  *  The everyday triggers that catch you off guard  *  The feeling of not recognising yourself anymore  *  And the slow, tender process of finding yourself again  This is a space for anyone who feels changed by loss… and unsure of who they are becoming. You are still you.  You are still their person.  And you are not alone. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Website https://harryshelpinghands.com.au/ Jen Connors - Harrys Helping Hands Grief & Loss Counselling 0431212575