A person going up the stairs and the title is What if Grief doesn't come in Stages? on Journeyofsmiley

What Are the 5 Stages of Grief: What if They’re Not Linear?

Grief is often described in stages – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross first introduced the Stages of Grief while working with terminally ill patients, but if you’ve ever grieved anything deeply, you already know this truth: Grief rarely follows a set order. Have you noticed how it never fits neatly into the boxes …

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A picture of stones piling on each other, and next to it is the title When facing multiple losses on Journeyofsmiley blog

Overwhelmed? What if It’s Cumulative Grief From Multiple Losses

If you’ve recently been feeling emotionally overwhelmed and can’t quite explain why, I want to offer a gentle possibility: could you be experiencing cumulative grief from multiple losses? When loss happens time and again – without enough time, space, or support to fully process each one – grief doesn’t disappear. It accumulates. And over time, that …

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Christmas and new year's decorations around a paper in the middle and on that paper is written 'Small Changes, Big Impact' on Journeyofsmiley blog

Small Daily Intentions for the New Year That Make a Big Difference

As we step into a new year, it’s easy to feel pressure to make big plans, set bold goals, and completely reinvent ourselves. Yet over time, I’ve learned that meaningful change rarely comes from dramatic resolutions. Instead, it grows from small, daily intentions. These quieter intentions for the new year – simple, intentional choices we …

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Christmas tree brunch decorated with a heart hanging on it, and the title Gentle Guide for Grievers on Journeyofsmiley blog

When Christmas Feels Hard: A Gentle Guide for Grieving Hearts

Christmas can stir up a thousand emotions — gratitude, joy, nostalgia — but also deep sorrow for what has changed. If this Christmas feels quieter, heavier, or lonelier, or if you find Christmas hard when grieving, please know this: you’re not alone. I understand, I’ve been there, too. I remember my first Christmas without my …

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A flower buds on the ground and next to it is the title Grief without closure on Journeyofsmiley.com

What if You’re Grieving What’s Still Here? Understanding Ambiguous Loss

“No one warned me that surviving my accident would mean grieving a life that never actually ended, rather an ambiguous loss, lingering quietly beneath the surface.” My traumaversary Today marks my fifth traumaversary – five years since the accident that changed my life in a split second. Five years ago, I was hit by a …

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Two pairs of hands holding across a table and the title is The tender space between Holding on and Letting go on Journeyofsmiley.com

What if Mourning Begins in Advance? Anticipatory Grief in Invisible Losses

Have you ever thought that perhaps grief doesn’t wait for the final goodbye? What if it starts quietly, long before the ending – in those moments when we sense that change, loss, or death is coming? Let me introduce you to a term you might know, even if you didn’t know its name: anticipatory grief. Most …

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On the right side is a decorative picture with the sign Brian Injury Wise and on the left side is an inspirational quote about trauma, healing, and listening to our bodies with the title PTSD: My Story Project on Journeyofsmiley blog

From Survival to Healing: Living With PTSD After a Traumatic Brain Injury

From Survival to Healing: Living with PTSD After a Traumatic Brain Injury by BrainInjuryWise | PTSD: My Story Project #017 Trigger warning Living with PTSD after a traumatic brain injury wasn’t something I ever expected. Like a lot of people, I believed PTSD was something veterans dealt with coming back from seeing unseeable things in …

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two females watching at a plane flying away in the sky and in the right corner is the title Expat Grief on Journeyofsmiley.com

Expat Grief and Emigration: The Hidden Cost of Moving and Living Abroad

As this month marks twenty years of my life in England, I invite you into a quieter, often unspoken side of the emigration journey – the emotional weight of expat grief that can come with moving and living abroad. This isn’t a checklist of what to pack or how to get visa. Rather, it’s a …

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Blue background, on the right side is a blue cup cake with a sparkle, on the left side is written Coping with Birthday Blues on Journeyofsmiley.com

Birthday Blues Are Real: How to Cope With Birthday Depression

As my birthday approached, I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling growing inside me. Birthday depression crept in slowly at first but then brought with it flood of questions: “Have you done enough?” “Are you where you hoped you’d be?” “What are you even doing with your life?” Have you ever felt sad on your birthday? …

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