Fear is an often hidden and unspoken part of widowhood. It can sit beneath the grief, the exhaustion, the practical chaos and the sudden loneliness and yet it shapes daily life in ways widows rarely feel able to articulate. This blog explores what fear looks like after loss, how it impacts everyday living, why it shows up so fiercely and some gentle ways to navigate it.

What fears do we experience in widowhood?

Fear during widowhood is more than just the sensation of being scared of something. It is a deep and instinctive response to losing the person who made us feel safe and made our world feel predictable and shared.

Whether you’re a young widow entering the first year of widowhood, or a widow who’s a little further into their grief journey - the loss of a spouse can be utterly devastating and there are so many different fears that can surface:

• fear or mistrust of the world around us
• fear of our feelings - of the intensity, pain and overwhelm we’re experiencing
• fear of the u...

In September 2016 I lost my husband, Simon. And, over the past nearly 10 years, as I have grappled with this hugely traumatic event, I have come to realise how much we can learn from the seasons - how much they teach us about our grief journey and ourselves. And none more so than spring - a time when the earth awakens from its wintry slumber, nature comes back to life and the world around us transforms. It has become a hugely meaningful and symbolic time for me. 

In this blog, I want to consider how spring can act as a powerful catalyst for widows - encouraging us to explore ideas of personal growth, renewal and new beginnings, and think about how we can support ourselves through our grief. Although our grief can feel challenging during the springtime, it offers us an invaluable opportunity for post-traumatic growth, a chance to reframe our grief, look forward and consider what we want from our future and how we might achieve it.

Winter - a metaphor for our grief

Winter is a powerfu...

As the world celebrates the courage, progress and resilience of women this International Women’s Day, I find myself reflecting on the bravery and inner strength of millions of widows across the globe. Women, who rise every day, dig deep and set foot into a world they barely recognise - a world that cruelly strips them of their confidence, their identity and their purpose.

Part of my role as a widow coach is to support widows to reclaim their future, to think about a life beyond their loss, rediscover their sense of purpose and gain clarity on how they wish to show up in the world.

In this blog, I want to begin by looking at how widowhood triggers an identity crisis and a significant loss of purpose and confidence. I’ll then move on to consider how this loss can in time present us with an opportunity to explore new beginnings. 

One of the things I have come to realise following the passing of my husband almost 10 years ago, is that as painful and soul-destroying as grief is, this she...