Welcome to The Journey to Healing Blog
By Bren Bell (Coach & Counselor)
Expert Advice on Grief, Coping and Navigating LifeTransitions
On this blog, I share stories and insights on navigating loss, overcoming grief through transitional times, and moving through challenging seasons of life.
Looking for something specific? Search below!
Category
- 24 Hour Philosophy
- Aging & Mindset
- Anticipatory Grief
- Authentic Living
- Communication skills
- Difficult Conversations
- Emotional healing
- Fear of Unknown
- Grief & Fear
- Growth mindset
- Happiness starts here
- Holiday stress
- Living Authentically
- Living in the Present
- Living with Purpose
- Loss of Job
- Loss of Loved One
- Loss of Self
- Loss of identity
- Mental Health Awareness
- Mindfulness & Grief
- Mindset Shift
- Myths and Beliefs
- Overcoming Fear
- Personal Growth
- Rediscover Yourself after Loss
- Rediscovering yourself
- Relationships & Connection
- Release Negativity
- SUD grief
- Self Acceptance
- Self refleciton
- Setting goals
- Social Media and Connections
- True self
- You are enough
- addiction grief
- articles
- distractions & grief
- family grief
- grief and loss
- grief and winter blues
- grief avoidance
- holiday grief
- post-holiday blues
- quotes
- surviving winter
- tips
- winter blues
“Self Acceptance - The key to Happiness”
Practicing self-acceptance is one of the most powerful ways to increase happiness and well-being. In a world obsessed with perfection and comparison, embracing who you truly are can help reduce anxiety, improve mental health, and create lasting emotional resilience. Let go of self-doubt, stop comparing, and reconnect with your self-worth—the key to personal growth and authentic happiness.
5 minute read
“Age Is an Illusion: Embracing Life Beyond Numbers”
Is age just a number? In this blog, we explore the illusion of aging and how mindset, lifestyle, and emotional well-being play a bigger role than the number of candles on your cake. Discover how shifting your perspective can help you stay vibrant, resilient, and engaged at any stage of life. Whether you're navigating midlife transitions, embracing personal growth, or redefining what it means to age, this article will inspire you to break free from societal limitations.
Age Is an Illusion: Embracing Life Beyond Numbers
5 minute read
“Walking Through Fear: Embracing the Unknown for Growth and Healing”
What are you afraid of… make a list. The Ego tells you to be afraid of the unknown. The problem is that moving through the unknown is how we grow and everything we have not yet experienced is the unknown.
Thus, the question, what are you afraid of? Your greatest gifts will flow through you as you move through fear and let love guide you. If your life/relationship/job/career/friendship falls apart, ask yourself, what is the gift? How can I take this moment as a gift and be open to change? Whether we’re navigating big life choices or processing grief after loss, learning to walk through fear is essential for healing and progress.
Walking Through Fear
3 minute read
“Communication Styles & The Art of Critical Conversations”
Navigating critical conversations can be challenging, especially when emotions run high or communication feels blocked. Whether it’s addressing workplace conflicts, setting boundaries in relationships, or tackling difficult discussions with loved ones, knowing how to communicate effectively is essential.
In this blog, we’ll explore different communication styles, how to approach difficult conversations with confidence, and strategies to ensure productive, meaningful dialogue—even when the other person is unresponsive. Learn how to improve active listening, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution skills to foster deeper connections and create the best possible outcomes in any conversation.
Communication Styles & The Art of Critical Conversations
5 minute read
“The Law of Detachment: Letting Go to Attract What’s Meant for you”
Struggling to attract the life you want? The Law of Detachment may be the missing piece. When we hold onto past pain, control outcomes, or resist change, we block the very things we desire. In this blog, we’ll explore how letting go can unlock abundance, why some people seem to attract good things effortlessly, and how The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz offers powerful lessons on releasing negativity. Learn how to follow your intuition, shift your mindset, and create space for what’s meant for you—because the secret to receiving is in the art of letting go.
The Law of Detachment: Letting go to Attract what is meant for you
5 minute read
“Mindfulness & Grief: The 24 hour Philosophy”
Grief, stress, and anxiety often make it feel like we’re drowning in the past or lost in the uncertainty of tomorrow. But what if you could start fresh—every single day? Inspired by Thích Nhất Hạnh’s 24-hour philosophy, this blog explores how mindfulness can help you release yesterday’s burdens and tomorrow’s worries, allowing you to fully embrace the present moment. If you’ve been searching for a way to find peace amid pain, this perspective might just change everything.
Read on to discover how each new day can be a powerful act of healing.
Mindfulness during Grief: The 24 Hour Philosophy s
5 minute read
“The Myths We Tell Ourselves: Unraveling the Stories That Shape Us”
Are the stories you tell yourself holding you back? Explore how myths shape our beliefs, the impact of confirmation bias, and how to rewrite limiting narratives. Drawing on insights from Carl Jung and Brené Brown, this blog helps you question personal myths, identify self-imposed barriers, and step into an empowered, authentic life. Learn how to recognize false beliefs and create a story that aligns with who you truly are.
So, what myths are you telling yourself? And more importantly—are they shaping you into the person you want to be?
The Myths We Tell Ourselves: Unraveling the Stories That Shape Us
5 minute read
“Social Media's Impact on Conversations: Hindering Human Connection & Rewiring Our Relationships”
How often do we find ourselves listening just to respond, rather than truly hearing the other person? Do we rely on rehearsed responses with acquaintances or fall into monologues with friends and family? Are we too absorbed in our own narratives to be genuinely curious about others’ stories? Even the mere presence of a smartphone can subtly disrupt face-to-face interactions. Could our online habits be rewiring our ability to connect?
Social Media's Impact on Conversations: Hindering Human Connection & Rewiring Our Relationships
5 minute read
“Rediscovering Yourself: How to Break Free from Others’ Expectations and Live Authentically”
Who were you before the world told you who to be? The key is to check in with ourselves regularly. To stay grounded in who we are and who we want to be. To remind ourselves that we owe it to ourselves to live authentically.
Rediscovering the Authentic YOU: Reflective prompts to uncover your authentic self
5 minute read
“Anticipatory Grief: The Quiet Sorrow Before Loss”
Anticipatory grief is a deep, painful sorrow that occurs before an impending loss. It often goes unacknowledged, but nonetheless it is our minds way of protecting and preparing us. It affects those facing a loved one’s approaching death, their own mortality, or even non-death-related losses—like an impending mastectomy, divorce, or a progressive diagnosis.
The anticipation of Grief
3 minute read
“A Year of Firsts after Loss”
Losing a loved one brings a wave heart-wrenching reality of 'firsts'—the first holiday without them, their first missed birthday, the first anniversary of their passing, and the first celebration of ANYTHING where their absence is deeply felt. Each milestone can feel like a new wave of grief, making the journey seem endless..
A Year of Firsts after Loss: Tips to Navigate
3 minute read
“Rebuilding After Loss: A Journey to Rediscovering Yourself”
It is unlikely that anyone gets through life without experiencing loss of some kind. Loss manifests in many forms: the loss of a loved one, a relationship, a career, health, financial stability, status, a dream, or even a complete loss of self. Eventually, these experiences can leave us questioning the very core of our identity and purpose in life.
Rebuilding After Loss: A Journey to Rediscovering Yourself
5 minute read
“Tips to Navigate the Winter Season: an invitation to grow, experiment, and reconnect with yourself.”
The hustle and bustle of the holidays are over and winter has settled in with shorter days and frigid temps. It’s normal to feel less active and motivated, which can leave us with lower energy. View this season as an invitation to grow, experiment, and reconnect with yourself.
TIPS for Navigating the Winter Season
5 minute read
“Tips to Navigate the Post-Holiday Blues: A Gentle Path to Renewal”
Post-holiday blues are a natural response to the transition out of a heightened emotional period. Let’s talk about some simple ways to ease through this transition and maybe even turn it into a chance to reset and refresh.
TIPS for Navigating Post-Holiday Blues
3 minute read
“Setting Realistic New Year’s Resolutions: 8 Tips for lasting Change”
The start of a new year brings with it a desire for change. Check this out for 8 TIPS for Lasting Change!
8 TIPS for Lasting Change
5 minute read
“Embracing the New Year with Grace in Grief ”
Embracing the New Year with Grace in Grief
This change—this “new normal”—is likely not something you chose or wanted, and it’s okay to feel resentful about it.
3 minute read
“MERRY CHRISTMAS” / “HAPPY HOLIDAYS”
Words That Weigh Heavy: Navigating Difficult Wishes in Grief
3 minute read
“Managing Holiday Grief”
Holidays can be complicated without considering grief. When grieving a loss, your favorite times may feel like an obstacle you must manage for the first time. At first it can be difficult to distinguish this time of year from the rest of the year, as every turn of the calendar can be a reminder of your loss.
3 minute read
Grief and Loss Quotes
I have always loved coming across the most relevant and impactful quote, just at the moment I needed to see it!
“The Symbolism of Fall: Finding the Beauty of Letting Go
Reflecting on autumn often evokes a sense of warmth and comfort, conjuring images of cozy sweaters, delicious pies, and warm bonfires. However, the deeper symbolic meanings of autumn extend far beyond these familiar comforts, intertwining with the essence of human existence.
3 minute read