Archive for the ‘Decisions and choices’ Category
Wednesday, December 4th, 2019
The holidays are a crazy time of year, and the madness seems to start earlier as the years go by. We cannot even make it through Halloween these days before Christmas items start to appear widely in stores. I just want to scream, “Stop! It’s too soon!” And if you’re grieving a loss this holiday season, the days ahead probably seem even more stressful than usual. Keep reading to find some tips to simplify your plans – and help reduce holiday grief stress.
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Tags: coping with holiday grief, quiet and solitude, reduce holiday stress, simplify, surrender expectations
Posted in Coping with Grief, Decisions and choices, Holidays, anniversaries, special occasions, Needs of grievers, Stunned by Grief | Comments Off on Simplify – Tips to Help Grievers Reduce Holiday Stress
Tuesday, August 15th, 2017
Grief is messy and confusing. It’s all-consuming. And it’s unlike anything else you’ve been through. Here’s where the ‘U’ word comes in. When the ‘U’ word is missing grievers suffer, and their loved ones do, too. (more…)
Tags: help with grief, how to help grievers, misunderstandings about grief, understanding grief, what to expect, why understanding matters
Posted in Coping with Grief, Decisions and choices, How to help grievers, Needs of grievers, Stunned by Grief | 2 Comments »
Thursday, December 15th, 2016
Holiday grief – two words that, when placed together, have the power to bring tears, fear, anger, pain, sadness, love, and a host of other responses. Knowing the power and effect of those two words, if you’re grieving, how do you deal with holiday grief? (more…)
Tags: communication, coping with holidays, follow your heart, holiday grief, holiday stress, joy alongside grief
Posted in Coping with Grief, Decisions and choices, Emotions, Holidays, anniversaries, special occasions, Stunned by Grief | 2 Comments »
Monday, October 3rd, 2016
This one should be pretty easy to figure out. The ‘O’ word that hits grievers is a common reaction to grief. (more…)
Tags: attitude and grief, don't be a victim in grief, grieving process, relieving stress in grief, surviving versus thriving after loss, what you do in grief, when you're overwhelmed
Posted in Adjustments, Attitude, Changes, Coping with Grief, Decisions and choices, Effects of Grief, Emotions, How to help grievers, Stunned by Grief | Comments Off on The ‘O’ Word that Hits Grievers—and What to Do about It
Thursday, August 11th, 2016
What’s the ‘A’ word no one wants to face in grief? And what’s the ‘A’ word those of us who have been through grief have had to wrestle with, time and again? Who anticipated so many unexpected surprises, upsets, and fears associated with this word?
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Tags: adjustments, change, grief healing, remap and renew after loss, unexpected changes, what to expect
Posted in Adjustments, Changes, Coping with Grief, Decisions and choices, Stunned by Grief | Comments Off on The ‘A’ Word No One Wants to Face in Grief
Monday, July 18th, 2016
How many of us have wondered, “Is there a shortcut through grief?” – and desperately wished that somehow, some way, we’d discover that quicker way. (more…)
Tags: changes with grief, grief is a heart issue, living with grief, new normal, no escape from grief, shortcut through grief
Posted in Changes, Coping with Grief, Decisions and choices, How to help grievers, Shortcut through grief, Stunned by Grief | 2 Comments »
Thursday, June 30th, 2016
You just received some stunning news, and your world has been turned inside out and upside down. What will you do, and how can you turn things around after a tragedy or a deep heartache and keep going? Your first thought is, “I don’t know how I’m ever going to get through this.” Even though your world has stopped, everyone else’s world keeps going on as usual. How will you get through this tragedy? What will your life look like afterward?
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Tags: healing from grief, lessons about grief, not only survive but thrive, reframing, turn things around after loss, victor or victim
Posted in Attitude, Coping with Grief, Decisions and choices, Hope, Resilience, Response to tragedy, Stunned by Grief | Comments Off on Hard Lessons Learned about Grief: How Can You Turn Things Around after a Tragedy?
Tuesday, November 24th, 2015
By Judy Brizendine
Tough times require extraordinary measures. Sometimes you’re not at your strongest – because something has knocked the wind out of you. An event, circumstance, or condition leaves you reeling, and you try desperately to regain your balance and steady yourself again. During tough times (such as grief), a particular three-legged stool is crucial. The building blocks that form the foundation of this stool are vital to your ability to cope with tough times. (more…)
Tags: coping with grief, gratitude, grow hope, importance of attitude, increase resilience, three legged stool
Posted in Attitude, Coping with Grief, Decisions and choices, Gratitude, Hope, Resilience, Stunned by Grief | 2 Comments »
Friday, September 18th, 2015
I don’t know why this is true – but when you reduce the clutter in your physical surroundings, something takes place inside of you, too. When you clean out and discard things you don’t need, and organize what you decide to keep, it seems as though it’s easier to think, to move forward, and to do the things you need to do. Reduce the clutter and focus on the basics, and you will see benefits – in life and in grief.
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Tags: benefits in life and in grief, choose the best for you, focus on basics, reduce clutter, self care, tyranny of the urgent
Posted in Coping with Grief, Decisions and choices, New directions, Stunned by Grief | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, August 12th, 2015
I can’t imagine anybody being less prepared to face grief than I was―and if anyone had told me I might discover something good in grief—especially HOPE—I wouldn’t have believed them!
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Tags: finding hope in grief, God's care, God's presence, God's promises, grief challenges, grief journey, peace that passes understanding, reassurance
Posted in Coping with Grief, Decisions and choices, Effects of Grief, Hope, Response to tragedy, Sharing your story, Stunned by Grief | Comments Off on Making the Discovery—Finding Hope in Grief
Friday, June 5th, 2015
By Judy Brizendine
Grief is a formidable force—and when it hits you directly, it holds the power to take you to your knees. What can you do? How do you stand back up when grief knocks you down?
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Tags: concentrate on the present, decide not to give up, fight negative thinking, grief and hope, grief is normal, stand back up, when grief knocks you down
Posted in Attitude, Coping with Grief, Decisions and choices, Effects of Grief, Emotions, Hope, Response to tragedy, Stunned by Grief | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, May 19th, 2015
By Judy Brizendine
I recently wrote a blog post titled “Do You Feel as Though Grief Is the End of Your Story?” – And I shared that, for a time, I wondered whether grief marked the end of mine. However, my story did not stop there. Thank God, grief was not the end. There’s a lot more to the story …
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Tags: blessings from grief, faith, from grief to hope, God's grace, grief is not the end, hope after loss, reassurance
Posted in Changes, Decisions and choices, Gratitude, Hope, New directions, Sharing your story, Stunned by Grief | 2 Comments »
Monday, May 11th, 2015
By Judy Brizendine
My life changed radically in 1998. It’s hard to believe that seventeen years have passed since then. However, flashes from those days will stay with me as long as I live. Do you feel as though grief is the end of your story? For a time, I thought grief marked the end of mine.
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Tags: accept change, define your life, grief choices, grief into hope, grief is not negative, grief is not the end, hope
Posted in Attitude, Changes, Coping with Grief, Decisions and choices, Effects of Grief, Hope, Stunned by Grief | 1 Comment »
Friday, April 24th, 2015
By Judy Brizendine
Caution! Does toxic thinking seem to tag along with you? If so, what difference does it make?
Even if you are besieged by toxic thinking, it’s only ‘thoughts’ – right? What harm can there be in examining something in your mind, even if you are off track? (more…)
Tags: choose your attitude, faulty thinking about grief, four D's of toxic thinking, positive changes, power of thoughts, toxic thinking
Posted in Attitude, Changes, Coping with Grief, Decisions and choices, Emotions, Stunned by Grief | Comments Off on Caution! Control Toxic Thinking and Create Positive Changes
Wednesday, March 11th, 2015
By Judy Brizendine
People have asked me this question enough times that I thought it deserved some attention: “Are Christians supposed to grieve?” Confusion even leads some Christians to feel guilty when they do grieve and to question the strength of their faith.
Let’s set the record straight up front. (more…)
Tags: Christians and grief, guilt and grief, misunderstandings about grief, peace, unresolved grief
Posted in Coping with Grief, Decisions and choices, Effects of Grief, Emotions, How to help grievers, Stunned by Grief | 4 Comments »
Grief is messy and confusing. It’s all-consuming. And it’s unlike anything else you’ve been through. Here’s where the ‘U’ word comes in. When the ‘U’ word is missing grievers suffer, and their loved ones do, too. (more…)
Holiday grief – two words that, when placed together, have the power to bring tears, fear, anger, pain, sadness, love, and a host of other responses. Knowing the power and effect of those two words, if you’re grieving, how do you deal with holiday grief? (more…)
By Judy Brizendine
I don’t know why this is true – but when you reduce the clutter in your physical surroundings, something takes place inside of you, too. When you clean out and discard things you don’t need, and organize what you decide to keep, it seems as though it’s easier to think, to move forward, and to do the things you need to do. Reduce the clutter and focus on the basics, and you will see benefits – in life and in grief.
By Judy Brizendine
By Judy Brizendine
By Judy Brizendine
By Judy Brizendine
