Widowhood is a time to prioritize yourself. Self-care is vital for helping to ground you, reduce your stress and anxiety, foster resilience, and maintain your physical, mental, and emotional health.
Grieving is emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausting. It’s crucial that you practice self-compassion and give yourself plenty of grace right now.
Letting people know what you need in grief can be extremely hard, especially because you yourself may not know. Sometimes it may be easier to let people know what you don’t need.
It’s okay to need help, and to let your loved ones know. Allow yourself to ask for help when you need it.
It’s okay to seek help with your grief process. You don’t have to do it all alone.
For some widows, loss of purpose and meaning can feel like one of the more devastating secondary losses.
Grief, loss, and trauma have profound effects on the body and brain. This can manifest in many physical symptoms and health issues.
If you find yourself in a state of extreme stress or anxiety, pause for a moment and then take steps to create a clearer, calmer mindset for yourself. Here are a few simple techniques.
If you find your thoughts spinning in a cycle that doesn’t feel constructive for you, here’s a simple strategy to help you pause, reset, and redirect.
You can be happy again in widowhood. Even though it might feel impossible right now, you can create a new life filled with purpose, meaning, and joy.
If you’re seeking more self-knowledge, self-development, self-care, and personal growth, you’re invited to book a 30-minute discovery session with Laurie Rich, Certified Grief Coach, Integrative Somatic Practitioner, and Widow University Founder.
Widowhood is a time to prioritize yourself. It’s okay to set boundaries to protect your emotional, mental, and physical health, and it’s okay to let people know what you’re not here for. (Part 1 of 4)
Widowhood is a time to prioritize yourself. It’s okay to set boundaries to protect your emotional, mental, and physical health, and it’s okay to let people know what you’re not here for. (Part 2 of 4)
Widowhood is a time to prioritize yourself. It’s okay to set boundaries to protect your emotional, mental, and physical health, and it’s okay to let people know what you’re not here for. (Part 3 of 4)
Widowhood is a time to prioritize yourself. It’s okay to set boundaries to protect your emotional, mental, and physical health, and it’s okay to let people know what you’re not here for. (Part 4 of 4)
It’s important that you focus on physical movement and exercise. Grief can be devastating to your physical energy and health, and self-care can help restore it.
Regular medical and dental care can help you stay physically well, which in turn can better equip you for navigating and addressing the physical impacts of grief and loss.
Even though you may have no appetite or interest in food, it’s crucial for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being that you feed your body nutritious food.
Taking care of yourself helps make it possible for you to take care of others.
We share a beautiful and powerful testimony from Hope at Grieving Naturally.
Making a commitment to yourself to connect socially with others who understand your loss can be a key component of moving into and through your grief.
When you feel ready, reclaiming your space can bring deep emotional benefits.
Choosing to heal means finding a self-loving way to live alongside your loss, to companion it. To acknowledge it and walk beside it as you commit to self growth and forward momentum in your life.
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Prioritizing self-care means creating space for things that nurture and heal us. This exercise can help you reflect on your needs and brainstorm activities that will help recharge and energize you.
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This exercise was designed to foster self-reflection for self-care and self-nurturing.
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This exercise can help you identify beliefs about yourself that may be limiting your personal growth.
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This checklist can provide meaningful reminders about ways to take care of yourself every day.
In your new life, it’s critical to create new community and connections with others who truly understand your feelings, emotions, and experiences.
Below you’ll find a carefully curated list of books that can help you focus on self-care.
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by Oludara Adeeyo
by Anna Borges
by Cicely Horsham-Brathwaite
by Pooja Lakshmin
by Megan Logan
by Nneka M. Okona
by Raquel Reichard
by Michelle Steinke-Baumgard
by Dr. Zoe Shaw
by Troy Love
BetterHelp is the world’s largest network of licensed, accredited, and experienced therapists who can help you with a range of issues including depression, anxiety, relationships, trauma, grief, and more.
TalkSpace’s network of licensed therapists and psychiatric providers have specialization in 150+ conditions, treatment approaches, and mental health needs.
Help Texts provides ongoing, expert grief support straight to your phone. You’ll receive personalized tips and strategies crafted by experts. Texts are personalized based on age, relationship, cause of death, and more.
Calm is the #1 mental health app designed to help you manage stress, sleep better, and live a happier, healthier life. Their research-based tools help you build life-changing habits to support your mental health.
Insight Timer offers the world's largest free library of more than 210k guided meditations and talks led by the world's top meditation and mindfulness experts, neuroscientists, psychologists, and teachers from esteemed universities, as well as music tracks from world-renowned artists.
Channel consisting of a group of individuals collaborating together to produce their very own original guided meditations exclusive to Great Meditation.
The mission of Yoga With Adriene is to connect as many people as possible through high-quality free yoga videos. They welcome all levels, all bodies, all genders, all souls.
On PS Fit, you’ll find videos ranging from 5 to 60 minutes in length. You can choose to exercise specific body parts and select the level of intensity that works for you. All workouts are designed and led by knowledgeable and credentialed experts.
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