Let’s talk about sleep!
Let’s talk about sleep! As we all know, sleep is incredibly important to our well-being, but even in the best of times, it can be challenging for some of us to get enough sleep. And grief can sometimes make sleep even more challenging...but it also becomes even...
Planning for summer success
The end of the school year is approaching! This can be an exciting time for some who are anticipating the break, and a stressful time for others who are trying to figure out what to do with their children and themselves during that time. The summer break does...
Self-care, in moderation
We at COJ often talk about ways to practice self-care for ourselves, but it might be time for a refresher on self-care. Self-care, at its most basic level, is the practice of caring for ourselves. However, when we talk about self-care, we aren’t talking about just...
Easing your child into favorite things
As the weather gets warmer, most of us are excited to spend more time outside. It can feel great to be out in the sunshine after a long winter! But sometimes a grieving child may choose not to do this. Perhaps, in their grief, your child is not engaging in as many...
Our need for community
Social relationships can be hard even in the best of times, but when grief and loss are involved, those relationships can seem even harder. The thought of being asked questions, people needing things from us, or even wearing presentable clothes can be exhausting...
Preparing for trigger days
There are certain days on one’s grief journey that are predictably harder than other days. We sometimes refer to these days as “trigger days.” These are days that typically have special significance, such as the birthday of our loved one, the death date, or holidays.
Is laughter the best medicine?
We often hear that laughter is the best medicine, but when we are deep in our grief, this can be hard to believe. While it’s true that laughter does not cure all things, the Mayo Clinic (2023) says that laughter does indeed help.
Helping kids with emotions is not easy but necessary
Children have the same struggles as adults with their emotions, learning to figure out their feelings or how to express themselves. Also like adults, what works for one child may not be as helpful with another. For some children, giving them time alone to process...
Crossing things off the list
Let’s face it: adulting requires some time that we often don't have. Which leads to even more stress. But good self-care includes addressing the things that bring us stress.