Grieving can hit us like a wave, unexpected and overwhelming, leaving us to wonder if the turmoil we feel is 'normal'. As Toni Thrash, your go-to certified life coach, I'm here to guide you through the stormy seas of loss and assure you that your journey is as unique as you are. In our latest episode of Start Your Comeback Podcast, we delve into the heart of grief, challenging myths and embracing the truth that there's not one 'correct' way to navigate such a profound experience. We discuss the importance of understanding that our personal grieving process doesn't need to conform to any standard, and that being harsh with ourselves during these trying times serves no purpose but to hinder our healing.
We also take a compassionate look at the array of emotions you may encounter, from the depths of sadness to the flickers of hope, and the reality that there's no set timeline for when you 'should' be over your loss. Acknowledging that seeking help is an act of courage rather than defeat, this episode is an invitation to redefine the grieving process, to make it a more compassionate and personalized journey toward healing. So, whether you're feeling stuck, facing waves of grief that seem relentless, or simply need a reminder that your feelings are valid, join us for a conversation that promises to bring comfort and a sense of empowerment as you script your own comeback story.
Grieving can hit us like a wave, unexpected and overwhelming, leaving us to wonder if the turmoil we feel is 'normal'. As Toni Thrash, your go-to certified life coach, I'm here to guide you through the stormy seas of loss and assure you that your journey is as unique as you are. In our latest episode of Start Your Comeback Podcast, we delve into the heart of grief, challenging myths and embracing the truth that there's not one 'correct' way to navigate such a profound experience. We discuss the importance of understanding that our personal grieving process doesn't need to conform to any standard, and that being harsh with ourselves during these trying times serves no purpose but to hinder our healing.
We also take a compassionate look at the array of emotions you may encounter, from the depths of sadness to the flickers of hope, and the reality that there's no set timeline for when you 'should' be over your loss. Acknowledging that seeking help is an act of courage rather than defeat, this episode is an invitation to redefine the grieving process, to make it a more compassionate and personalized journey toward healing. So, whether you're feeling stuck, facing waves of grief that seem relentless, or simply need a reminder that your feelings are valid, join us for a conversation that promises to bring comfort and a sense of empowerment as you script your own comeback story.
Is there a major life transition benching you? I know you may be asking what's next? What's my purpose? What if? Because I've asked those too.
Speaker 1:
Welcome to the Start your Comeback Podcast. I'm Toni Thrash, a certified life coach, and I want to share the tools and practical steps to help you create a winning game plan to move into your new adventure. Hi, welcome back. You're listening to episode 30. We are officially six months old now. It has been so fun getting to write and produce this podcast. The whole goal is for you, the listener, to learn some normalcy when walking through a transition and to not be afraid of the sequences that happen. So I would like to ask a favor Would you mind leaving a review if you've gotten anything at all from this podcast? It sure helps spread the word and I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1:
Last week, we dove into the wild and untamed animal called grief. We walked through the five stages of grief. Well, we didn't actually walk through them. We talked through the five stages of grief, but that was all I had planned for that topic. But as soon as I finished the podcast, it came to me that we all tend to judge ourselves and talk harshly to ourselves when we are grieving. The thing is, grief is the first step to starting your comeback. It's the awareness that life has changed and now we are turning ourselves around to get off that bench and start fresh. Once we've come out of the shock part of grief, we tend to be particularly harsh with ourselves. You might feel your grieving process isn't going according to the norm. Well, what is norm anyway? But remember there's no such thing as a right or wrong way of coping with a loss.
Speaker 1:
Here are some thoughts that could cross your mind when looking at your own or someone else's way of grieving. The first one is I am doing this wrong? No, one of the biggest myths about grieving is that everyone goes through it in the same way, not true. There is no guided journey, steps for following, no roadmap, which means there's no correct way of doing it. You might find it useful to remind yourself there's no I should be feeling this way kind of moment, which brings us to number two. I should be feeling dot, dot, dot.
Speaker 1:
No, not everyone experiences all the stages or even goes through these emotions the same way. Denial could be more of a sense of shock and disbelief. Maybe the depression stage feels more like irritability than sadness. For you, the emotions used to rationalize the stages of grief aren't the only ones you'll experience. You may not even experience them all, and that's natural too. This is no indication that your healing journey is faulty in any way. Your healing experience is unique to you and valid nonetheless.
Speaker 1:
Number three this goes first. Remember there's no specific or linear order for the stages of grief. You could move along the stages one by one, or you could go back and forth. Some days you might feel very sad and the very next day you could wake up feeling hopeful. Then you could go back to feeling sad. Some days you might even feel both. But in the same way, denial isn't necessarily the first emotion you'll experience. Maybe your first emotional reaction is anger or depression.
Speaker 1:
Number four it's taken way too long. Coping with a loss is ultimately a deeply personal and singular experience. Many factors affect how long it takes. Some people navigate through grief in a few days. Others take months or longer to process their loss. I would not set any deadlines for when your grieving process should end. In other words, don't say in one year I should be over all this. No, in grief you'll experience some of these emotions in waves of intensity, but in time you'll notice that this intensity starts to decrease. But if you feel your emotions stay or increase in intensity and frequency, this might be a good time to seek yet professional support one more time. It takes as long as it takes. Number five I'm depressed.
Speaker 1:
Going through the stages of grief, particularly the depression stage, isn't equivalent to clinical depression. There's a distinction between having clinical depression and grieving. This means that even though some symptoms might be similar, there are still key differences between both. For example, in grief the intense sadness will lessen in intensity and frequency as time goes by. You might even experience the sadness at the same time. You find temporary relief in happy memories from times before the loss. Remember there's no deadline for grieving. How long it takes you to process a loss will be what it is for you. Just remember that it is a normal thing to walk through the stages and go back through them again. You may or may not go through them in order, but it is key for you to be aware and recognize where you are. Give yourself some grace. Grief is a difficult process to walk through and you need to allow some room for that grace in your life. Be easy with yourself. It's important to walk through all the emotions and heal and not stuff them someplace deep and ignore them.
Speaker 1:
Join me next week as we'll be discussing Mother's Day. I sure appreciate you being here. I'll see you next week. Hey, thanks for listening. I don't take it for granted that you're here. You didn't listen by mistake. If you want to reach out, you can DM me on Instagram at Tony Thrash Until next week. Remember, there's still time left on the clock. Let's get you off the bench to start your comeback. I want to give a special shout out to Country Club for the original music. You can find them on Instagram at Country Club.