Practices That Have Helped: Listening to Podcasts

It's no secret: grief can be a very isolating event.  It's actually kind of ironic: for something that is almost universally experienced, losing our loved ones can create all kinds of barriers with other people.  Friends who were once close to us might become more distant.  And we might be self-conscious about burdening other people with our sadness and turbulent emotions over our loss (or losses).  Many times we might find ourselves alone, wanting to talk with someone, but not sure who.  We might agonize over what we should say, and worry about how our words will be met.  We yearn to feel understood.

One practice that has really helped me in the last couple months has been listening to podcasts.  For me, it almost functions as a sort of "group therapy" when I don't have access to other people that I can share my experiences with.  Hearing others describe their losses, and the trials and sorrows they've endured, and how they've managed to pull through in spite of it all, has given me the strength to keep facing day-to-day life.  

There are two podcasts I have been listening to a lot as of late.  First is "Grief 2 Growth", hosted by Brian D. Smith.

 

 

Brian knows about the shock we can face from losing a loved one: his 15 year-old daughter Shayna died unexpectedly in 2015, and at that point he felt his life was over.  The tagline at the beginning of his podcast is that he was "planted, not buried" -- and his goal is to help listeners realize that they can still grow, thrive, and touch others' lives in spite of their grief.

The other podcast I've been listening to is hosted by Sandra Champlain, We Don't Die.

Sandra was a lifelong skeptic, until her fear of dying led her to conduct her own research, which led her to conclude that we, in fact, don't die at the end of our earthly lives.

Both Brian and Sandra have a wide variety of wonderful guests on their programs: people who have suffered the devastating loss of loved ones, people who have experienced profound After Death Communications and Near Death Experiences, people who are spiritual mediums, as well as people who have written books to help us deal with our grief.

I am sure there are many other podcasts out there that would be very beneficial for those of you who are grieving, and I hope to add to this list as I continue to explore.  In the meantime, if you are feeling lonely during this time of loss, I highly recommend checking out Brian's and Sandra's podcasts.  I have found much comfort by listening to them and the people they interview.