Widow 180 The Podcast with Jen Zwinck

Jen Zwinck
  • 4.9 (89)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

When you become a widow, the heartache can be overwhelming. You feel lost. You feel broken. You feel alone. And you find yourself trying to pick up the pieces of your life and function. But I believe that every widow has the capacity to endure, that every widow has the power to overcome and the determination to create a new life filled with meaning and purpose. The Widow 180 Podcast is about turning tragedy, loss and fear into strength and creativity and a new passion for life. It's about self-reflection and realizing that we only have this one precious life to live and that a new life and a new you is achievable.Each week I will be interviewing widows, incredible survivors of loss. These women have taken the lessons they've learned and the insights they've gained and used them to grow and transform themselves. Some have started businesses, went back to school, run marathons, lost 100 pounds, and moved across the world! They made a choice not to be held down.How did they do it? How did they get through their grief? What's their secret? What lessons can we learn from them that will transform our own lives? How can we write our own story because our story isn't over yet? How can we begin our Chapter 2? I hope that you are as inspired by these women as I am. And maybe hearing even just one story will be life-changing for you.

  1. 1d ago

    285. How To Cope When Life Feels Overwhelmingly "Griefy"! - A Quick Tip Tuesday Episode

    Life can feel "griefy". You know what I mean! Some days are heavy in a way that's hard to explain — not a crisis, exactly, just "griefy".  And then there are the moments a wave hits out of nowhere: a song, a habit, reaching for the phone to tell them something, or nothing you can even pinpoint. In this episode, we talk honestly about both kinds of days — the low, gray-cloud heaviness that settles in for hours, and the sudden waves that can knock you off your feet. You'll hear why grief doesn't move like a project with a finish line, and why a hard day doesn't mean you're grieving wrong. We cover practical ways to get through the heavier days: lowering the bar for what counts as "getting through it," keeping one small anchor of routine, asking for specific help instead of a vague offer, and understanding why grief shows up in your body — the exhaustion, the forgetfulness, the disrupted sleep — just as much as in your mind. Then we walk through a simple four-step practice designed for the exact moment a wave of grief hits and you feel overwhelmed: Name it, don't fight itPut your feet on the groundBreathe out longer than you breathe inLet the wave move through, then do one small next thingIt's short enough to remember in the grocery store, at your desk, or lying awake at 3 a.m. — anywhere grief catches you off guard. This episode is for anyone who's lost a spouse or partner and is looking for something steadier than "just give it time." It won't make the grief disappear, and it isn't meant to. It's meant to help you stay standing inside it — one wave, one small next step, at a time. If grief is showing up often, lasting a long time, or making it hard to function, we also talk about when it's worth bringing to a grief counselor or therapist — not because anything is wrong with you, but because what you're carrying deserves support sized to match it. Be sure to join our Facebook group, Widow 180 The Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/312036956454927 Also follow us on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/widow_180/ Check us out on YouTube at Widow 180: The Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-DK_dl31qMilJ5cE6t9MVQ For more blog posts and resources go to www.widow180.com Questions? Email me at jen@widow180.com

  2. 6d ago

    284. From Suicide Widow To Remarried & Thriving! Rachel Powell On Grief, Healing & Finding Hope Again

    In this deeply honest and moving episode, I sit down with Rachel Powell — widow, remarried wife, mother of a "super blended" family, and founder of Hope Speaker — to talk about the messy, complicated, and ultimately hope-filled path she's walked since losing her husband. Rachel shares the story of meeting her late husband Andre in high school youth group, building a life together that included raising four children (three nieces and nephews plus their biological daughter), and the devastating final year of their marriage marked by addiction, undiagnosed mental health struggles, and abuse — before losing him to suicide in June 2019. She opens up candidly about the darkest chapter that followed: navigating single parenthood during the COVID pandemic, wrestling with guilt and shame, surviving two suicide attempts of her own, and the pivotal turning point that led her to prioritize her own healing. Rachel discusses: ~the tools that helped her rebuild, including the Grief Recovery Method ~holistic approaches to healing body, mind, and spirit ~vagus nerve regulation work ~her journey into remarriage — meeting her husband Mike online, navigating a cross-state relationship, and blending their families ~encouragement for widows considering dating again.  She closes with a powerful reminder: today's reality is not your forever reality! Rachel also speaks to the urgent, under-resourced needs of the widowed community, sharing striking statistics about how little nonprofit support exists for the 11.6 million widows in the U.S., and the work she's doing through her coaching practice and the Hope Stronghold community to change that. This episode is a raw, faith-centered conversation about grief, resilience, and finding purpose on the other side of unimaginable loss. Connect with Rachel: hopespeaker.com | hopespeaker.com/coaching The community: hopestronghold.com A note: this episode discusses suicide loss and suicidal ideation in detail. If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988) is available 24/7. Be sure to join our Facebook group, Widow 180 The Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/312036956454927 Also follow us on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/widow_180/ Check us out on YouTube at Widow 180: The Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-DK_dl31qMilJ5cE6t9MVQ For more blog posts and resources go to www.widow180.com Questions? Email me at jen@widow180.com

  3. Aug 14

    283. Finding Purpose After Loss: A Widow's Guide to Choosing Joy Again!

    Losing a spouse is one of the most disorienting experiences a person can go through, but grief doesn't have to be the end of your story. In this uplifting episode, we explore what it really means to find purpose and meaning after loss, and why choosing happiness again isn't a betrayal of the person you lost, it's an honor to them. We talk honestly about the danger of staying stuck in grief, why "waiting for the right time" to move forward often means waiting forever, and how rediscovering who you are after loss can become one of the most unexpected gifts hidden inside your grief journey. You'll hear practical, heartfelt encouragement for widows and widowers who are ready to stop surviving and start truly living again — building a life filled with purpose, joy, and possibility.  The Finding Purpose and Meaning After Loss Workbook, a 43-page guided resource full of journal prompts and reflective exercises designed to help you rediscover yourself and reconnect with what makes life meaningful, one page at a time! Find the workbook at www.widow180.com/purpose If you're a widow or widower feeling stuck between honoring your past and building your future, this episode is your reminder: your story isn't over!  Grief and growth can coexist. Life — even after profound loss — is still amazing, and it's still yours to shape! Tune in for a warm, honest conversation about healing, resilience, and choosing joy on purpose. Be sure to join our Facebook group, Widow 180 The Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/312036956454927 Also follow us on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/widow_180/ Check us out on YouTube at Widow 180: The Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-DK_dl31qMilJ5cE6t9MVQ For more blog posts and resources go to www.widow180.com Questions? Email me at jen@widow180.com

  4. Aug 6

    282. "He Built His Dream in Tanzania — Then I Got the Call" Interview With Gia Ilole

    Gia was 19 when she met Jonas and she loved him almost from the start, even though fate took a few tries to bring them together. What followed was a whirlwind life: a blended family, two kids ten years apart, constant moves, and a marriage built on Jonas's fearless, say-yes-to-everything spirit. His biggest dream was returning to his native Tanzania to build a business, and after the pandemic hit, he finally got his shot — opening a boutique hotel and tour company he poured his heart into. Then, in April 2024, everything changed. Gia describes the surreal morning she couldn't reach him, the strange phone call from their housekeeper delivering the impossible news, and the disorienting hours that followed as she tried to get answers from thousands of miles away.  She opens up about: ~the altercation that took Jonas's life ~the confusion and misinformation that clouded the early days ~leaning on her widow community during the darkest moments ~carrying a business she never intended to run ~starting Seasons Of Life Celebrations to honor life-changing moments ~the excruciating wait for legal answers that, over two years later, still aren't fully resolved ~finding her footing again while still living inside the unknown In this deeply honest conversation, Gia shares what it's like to grieve not just a husband, but the future they'd planned together — the "empty nest" chapter she never got to have.  This is a story about love, sudden loss, resilience, and the long, uneven road toward healing. Find Gia at www.SeasonsOfLifeCelebrations.com.  Be sure to join our Facebook group, Widow 180 The Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/312036956454927 Also follow us on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/widow_180/ Check us out on YouTube at Widow 180: The Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-DK_dl31qMilJ5cE6t9MVQ For more blog posts and resources go to www.widow180.com Questions? Email me at jen@widow180.com

  5. Jul 30

    281. Sorting Through A Spouse's Belongings - A Widow (and Widower!) Roundtable Gets Real About Grief, Clutter, And Letting Go Of Things

    What do you do with the clothes still hanging in his closet?  The shoes that seem to multiply the moment you try to pack them away?!  In this raw, unfiltered Widow 180 roundtable, four guests — three widows and a widower — open up about one of the hardest, least-talked-about parts of loss: deciding what to do with a spouse's belongings. Lindsay Lawrence, Sarah Fox, Lakisha Lefever, and psychologist Stephen Taylor share their timelines, triggers, and hard-won strategies — from turning t-shirts into memory bears, to donating shoes to strangers in need, to the surprising guilt that can surface over something as small as a comforter or an empty cologne bottle. They talk honestly about outside pressure and unsolicited opinions from family. As Lindsay puts it: "Until you are walking in my shoes, I really don't need to hear your opinion anymore."  And Stephen offers a piece of wisdom that reframes the whole conversation: "If you don't do something with your grief, your grief is gonna do something to you." This episode also covers the power of pre-loss conversations, the "widow brain" phenomenon, navigating family traditions around belongings, and two simple questions to help guide any decision:  Will I ever actually use this? and  Where is the right place for it to go? Whether your loss was sudden or came after years of illness, this conversation offers permission to move at your own pace — because when it comes to grief, there's no right way. There's just your way. For more support and guidance in widowhood, check out the Widow 180 Workbook series at www.widow180.com/workbooks What stage of widowhood are you in right now? Not sure? Click here to get the specific help you need for where you are right now on this journey. Go to www.widow180.com/stages Be sure to join our Facebook group, Widow 180 The Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/312036956454927 Also follow us on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/widow_180/ Check us out on YouTube at Widow 180: The Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-DK_dl31qMilJ5cE6t9MVQ For more blog posts and resources go to www.widow180.com Questions? Email me at jen@widow180.com

  6. Jul 23

    280. Widow Brain Meets ADHD: Navigating Grief, Guilt, and Identity After Suicide Loss (with Jennifer Dall)

    What happens when widow brain and ADHD collide? In this episode, we sit down with Jennifer Dall — grief-informed neurodivergence specialist, founder of Curveball Press, and widow of four-plus years — to unpack how grief and neurodivergence amplify each other in ways almost no one talks about. Jennifer opens up about losing her husband to suicide, navigating grief alongside her adult daughter, and the messy, ongoing work of sorting through his belongings (tools, fishing gear, and all).  We dig into decision fatigue, executive dysfunction, and why "widow fog" hits differently when you're also managing ADHD — plus practical, compassionate strategies for getting through the hardest days, releasing guilt, and rebuilding an identity that's been completely upended. If you're in the thick of grief and wondering whether you'll ever feel capable again, this conversation is a reminder: you will. One day, one wave, one Netflix episode at a time! In this episode: Grief triggers, "random Tuesdays," and anticipating hard anniversariesWidow brain vs. ADHD — how they compound each otherPractical tools for decision fatigue and overwhelmReleasing guilt around big life decisionsRebuilding identity after lossWhat "mini survival mode" looks like — and how to get through it againConnect with Jennifer: adhdholistically.com  There are 5 stages of healing in widowhood. Not sure which one you're in? Go to www.widow180.com/stages to find out. Get a curated list of resources you need to start healing today! Be sure to join our Facebook group, Widow 180 The Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/312036956454927 Also follow us on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/widow_180/ Check us out on YouTube at Widow 180: The Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-DK_dl31qMilJ5cE6t9MVQ For more blog posts and resources go to www.widow180.com Questions? Email me at jen@widow180.com

  7. Jul 16

    279. The 5 Stages of Widowhood Healing (Not the Grief Stages You've Heard Before)

    If you're listening to this at 2am because grief won't let you sleep, or three years out wondering why you still don't feel like yourself — this episode is for you! Forget the 5 stages of grief you've heard about a hundred times.  In this episode, we are breaking down the 5 stages of healing in widowhood — a framework built specifically for what it actually looks like to lose your spouse and rebuild a life afterward: In the Thick of It — raw, early grief and survival modeFinding Your Footing — small wins and the guilt of feeling capable againSearching for Yourself — the identity work of figuring out who you are nowStepping into Chapter Two — building a new life on purpose, joy and grief coexistingThriving and Paying It Forward — a new relationship with your loss, and helping others through theirsThese stages aren't a ladder you climb in order, rather, you can move back and forth between them, sometimes in the same week. We walk through what each stage actually feels like, what it looks like from the outside, and exactly what you need in each one. Whether you're in the fog of week one or years into rebuilding, this episode will help you understand exactly where you are and know that where you're headed is real. FIND YOUR STAGE: Head to https://www.widow180.com/stages to find your stage and get a personalized list of resources to support you right where you are! For all Widow 180 Workbooks in the series, go to https://www.widow180.com/workbooks Be sure to join our Facebook group, Widow 180 The Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/312036956454927 Also follow us on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/widow_180/ Check us out on YouTube at Widow 180: The Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-DK_dl31qMilJ5cE6t9MVQ For more blog posts and resources go to www.widow180.com Questions? Email me at jen@widow180.com

  8. Jul 9

    278. "He Died 3 Weeks After Diagnosis"- Julie Wright Halbert on Sudden Loss, Grief Literacy, and Transformational Healing

    Julie Wright Halbert was a national education attorney, married 22 years, when her husband Jim started losing weight and running a fever — symptoms doctors first mistook for an infection.  Three weeks later, he was gone.  In this raw, wide-ranging conversation, Julie shares what it's really like to lose a spouse to a fast-moving, hard-to-diagnose cancer (later identified as cholangiocarcinoma), how she held two teenage sons together while barely holding herself together, and the winding path — through grief therapy, a chance encounter with a life coach in Colorado, a medium session that left her laughing and crying, and healing retreats in Sedona — that led her to become a transformational soul coach, death doula, and author of the forthcoming book Live and Die Awake (releasing November 4, 2026). This episode isn't just about how Jim died — it's about how Julie learned to live. In this episode, we chat about: The frightening weeks between Jim's first symptoms and his cholangiocarcinoma diagnosis at MD AndersonThe "angel medevac" flight that got the family home to say goodbyeGoing back to work as an attorney while still in early, acute griefThe synchronicities — a stranger's conversation, a medium's prediction — that led her to coachingHow her book Live and Die Awake came together, chapter by chapter, as a healing tool for any kind of lossWhat she looks for first when guiding a new grief client through an identity shiftHer thoughts on group retreats, Sedona's "vortex energy," and communal healingTimestamps: 00:00 – Intro 00:23 – Jim's first symptoms and the early misdiagnosis 03:30 – The diagnosis: cholangiocarcinoma at MD Anderson 06:07 – The angel medevac flight home 06:43 – Jim passes away, December 6, 2018 07:23 – The raw grief of losing someone in three weeks 11:15 – Returning to work as an attorney while grieving 20:12 – The Colorado synchronicity that led to her life coach 24:20 – How her book Live and Die Awake began taking shape 27:03 – Connecting with medium Tina Powers 34:45 – Founding Rising Phoenix Life coaching 37:03 – Guiding clients through identity shifts after loss 40:27 – Is there a "too soon" for grief transformation? 44:45 – Sedona retreats and communal healing 59:16 – Where to find Julie + closing thoughts Connect with Julie Wright Halbert: 🌐 Website: risingphoenix.life 📖 Substack: Living and Dying Awake 💼 LinkedIn: Julie Wright Halbert 📧 Email: julie@risingphoenix.life 📚 Book: Live and Die Awake — releasing November 4, 2026 What stage are you on this widow journey? Not sure? Find out at https://www.widow180.com/stages and get the tailored grief support you need. Be sure to join our Facebook group, Widow 180 The Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/312036956454927 Also follow us on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/widow_180/ Check us out on YouTube at Widow 180: The Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-DK_dl31qMilJ5cE6t9MVQ For more blog posts and resources go to www.widow180.com Questions? Email me at jen@widow180.com

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About

When you become a widow, the heartache can be overwhelming. You feel lost. You feel broken. You feel alone. And you find yourself trying to pick up the pieces of your life and function. But I believe that every widow has the capacity to endure, that every widow has the power to overcome and the determination to create a new life filled with meaning and purpose. The Widow 180 Podcast is about turning tragedy, loss and fear into strength and creativity and a new passion for life. It's about self-reflection and realizing that we only have this one precious life to live and that a new life and a new you is achievable.Each week I will be interviewing widows, incredible survivors of loss. These women have taken the lessons they've learned and the insights they've gained and used them to grow and transform themselves. Some have started businesses, went back to school, run marathons, lost 100 pounds, and moved across the world! They made a choice not to be held down.How did they do it? How did they get through their grief? What's their secret? What lessons can we learn from them that will transform our own lives? How can we write our own story because our story isn't over yet? How can we begin our Chapter 2? I hope that you are as inspired by these women as I am. And maybe hearing even just one story will be life-changing for you.

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