Hey there, I’m Dr. Jennifer Ryan, and welcome to the first episode of Dr. Jen and Friends Lovecast. 

I am so excited to jump into this podcast! Talking about human behavior is my favorite topic, and it’s a conversation I could ramble on and on about! And sometimes I do!

I also have my excellent friend Tammy with me -- she’s agreed to be my sidekick with the Lovecast, and I couldn’t be more excited! One of the things we thrive on is talking about why people do what they do -- why our kids do what they do, why people around us do what they do, and how those around us help us grow. 

About This Podcast

As you may already know if you follow me on social media, I’ve been an adult and couples counselor for over 18 years. I’ve spent my entire adult life understanding human behavior, and I’ve been helping individuals learn why they do the things they do, how to do them better, and feel supported along the way. 

Over the past year, I decided to broaden my reach from my one-on-one clients to those who aren’t sitting on the couch but still need alllllll the love and self-helpery. 

While there are looooooooots of podcasts to choose from, especially in the field of human behavior, this podcast is going to go beyond the therapist chair. I’ll dive into smart, successful strategies that every human should implement when it comes to growing, expanding, and thriving as a human being.

In this first episode of Lovecast, we address the overarching effects of the current pandemic with the one thing we need to do before we can begin visioning our life in the new year to strengthen your relationships thrive personally and professionally. 

In this episode, here’s what we’ll cover:

• A personal glimpse into the impact of the COVID pandemic.
• The Global Grief occurring because of COVID-19. 
• Six ways you manage grief well as you move into a new vision.

Global Grief

Before you can move into the new year, you have to grieve what was. Everyone has been focused on emotional and physical survival during these past few months that there hasn’t been much “moving on” that anyone has wanted to do. 

My question for you is: What if this is the new normal, and we need to embrace what we have. The other problem I have for you is: What if we don’t do that? What are we risking when we don’t firmly place ourselves at this moment and begin to plan for our future. What if we don’t grieve the past and figure out what this new normal will be like instead of waiting around for life we had to come back?

For now, grieve where you are. Instead of waiting for the past to come back so you can “get things back to normal,” feel sad and frustrated about the ending we’ve all been in the process of facing for months now. 

The new year is right around the corner, and many of us typically set New Year’s resolutions. This year should be no different! There is room to grown, plan, and expand. As human beings, we want to thrive.

How to Grieve

There are six main ways to help with the grieving process: 

1. (17:12) Acknowledge Your Feelings and Grieve Intentionally
2. (19:00) Give Yourself Time -- There are no time limits with grief
3. (20:55) Heal With Others -- social support
4. (22:43) Don’t compare yourself to others
5. (22:19) Engage in Self-Love Activities
6. Seek Counseling

Next Steps

Thanks for listening to today’s episode! If you haven’t already, subscribe to this podcast so you know when another episode has dropped. See you next time!