Tag Archives: MaryMac

Emotional Challenges, The Mary Mac Show

The Mary Mac Show | Emotional Challenges | Stress

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The Mary Mac Show PodcastIn Episode 8, we discuss the challenges surrounding stress while going through the grieving process.

We harbor stress from many different aspects of our life, but when we experience a loved one’s death, the stress levels can reach much higher proportions and unless checked can lead us to physical and emotional health challenges.

It is very important that you learn about stress while grieving and how to reduce it so you are more calm.

There are some things we can control and others we can’t. Learn the difference and be aware of how to alleviate stress during this serious time in your life.

Visit here to listen to Episode 8 and read the show notes for helpful links.

Emotional Challenges, The Mary Mac Show, Wisdom

The Mary Mac Show | Are We Ever Prepared?

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The Mary Mac Show PodcastNo matter when we ourselves die or when someone we love dies, are we ever truly prepared?

We might think if we had a longer time to think about our death or someone else’s, as in the case of a terminal or chronic illness, that somehow it will be easier because we expected it.

And we might think that if someone died suddenly from a tragic accident, murder, suicide, military or law enforcement death or natural disaster like hurricane, flood, etc., somehow that would be an even more difficult death to live with.

But chances are good, we won’t be satisfied with how they died or the timing of their death. We still want them here with us regardless how they died and when.

And if they were reckless, that adds to the drama.

One of the most important things I want this podcast to achieve is what I’ve always wanted for the people I’ve helped for over three decades. And that is to help you become more emotionally stable during your grieving process.

I want you to learn skills on how to help yourself function better.

In this episode I introduce you to Brad Yates, who practices EFT, the Emotional Freedom Technique, which I strongly recommend you learn for all your emotional needs. He has helped me tremendously over the years and you will be so amazed at what it can do for you! (More links in the show notes.)

Grief is messy but I want you to gain as much control as possible.

Visit here to listen to Episode 7 and please subscribe, rate and review at your favorite podcast portal.

Mostly, please share my podcast with those who need us.

Emotional Challenges, The Mary Mac Show, Wisdom

The Mary Mac Show | Understanding the Stages of Grief

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The Mary Mac Show PodcastMany people who talk about the stages of grief believe that you go through them in a certain order. But this is far from the truth.

The stages of grief are completely different for those who are actually dying versus those who survive a loved one’s death.

Survivors go through a roller coaster of emotions during the grieving process. They move through the various stages sometimes on a more frequent basis, then later more slowly. They can jump around between stages and perhaps skip stages that no longer relate to them.

What you need to know is that there is no right way to grieve. No perfect way to go through these ‘stages’ and I, for one, think they set us up for self-imposed failure because we think we should go through them in some particular order.

Everyone is different so please don’t beat yourself up because of what you’ve learned in the past about these stages.

You will go through YOUR grieving process in the exact manner you’re supposed to. No one can dictate how it will flow, so don’t put some framework on yourself.

Yes, you might touch on each of these stages, but perhaps not in the order they are usually discussed. And you might go back and forth experiencing some for a little longer or shorter than others.

Our work is to help you celebrate the life of the person who died or was killed and to honor what you are going through. We look for the positive instead of the negative. We look for you to feel better not worse because you think you should be moving along at someone else’s predetermined pace.

That’s nonsense.

Use your gratitude journal every night. Concentrate on what you DO want instead of what you don’t. And live the new life that is here for you.

Even if you’re not happy about it.

Listen to Episode 6 here. Download, rate and review.

The Mary Mac Show, Wisdom

The Myths Surrounding the Grieving Process

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The Mary Mac Show PodcastIn Episode 5, we look at the various myths surrounding the grieving process and how not knowing them can lead you to confusion, misunderstanding and unnecessary pain.

Some survivors believe that they will grieve exactly the same way for each person in their live who dies or is killed. And that simply is not the case.

Other feels once they have completed their grieving process, somehow memories or snippets of pain will never come back. This also is a myth because you will experience various occasions like graduations, weddings, birth of children and grandchildren and you’ll wish your special loved one was there to experience it with you.

Listen in to learn all the myths surrounding the grieving process in Episode 5 of The Mary Mac Show.

Holidays, Military, Suicide

Devotion of Military and their Families

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276240_100000410189176_563033050_n Although we are focused on the gradual increase in troops sent to Iraq, we cannot forget all those in other parts of the world who serve, as well as the families who are left behind longing for them.

Today on Veterans Day in the United States, we honor those who have not only served in our military through war times as well as peace times, or those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and never returned home, but to the families whose lives were irreparably changed either through loss of life or loss of limbs, emotional stability, or other impairment that changed who those men and women are now compared to whom they were when they first left their loving families.

War changes everything. No one comes home the same. And no one lives their lives in quite the same manner ever again.

Some of the highest rates of suicide and PTSD are among the military, yet our Veterans Affairs Department hasn’t put the level of importance on these issues as I believe they should.

These men and women have given so much to us; it seems incomprehensible that we would not offer them the same high level of care that we afford our congress members.

And if a life is lost, what care do we give to those who have survived…the spouses, children, parents? Is it enough and over a long enough period of time?

The priority of our constitution tells us that it is the government’s job to keep us safe and free. So it stands to reason that those who insure that mandate should be our highest priority.

Hopefully now that housecleaning and demotions have been imposed on many in the VA by a new leader with guts, perhaps now we will see the proper care and concern for those who gave so much.