Tag: COVID-19

EOLPodcast

Ep. 332 Technology Advances for End-of-Life Care with Jeremy Powell

kwyattmd

Learn about exciting new technology that promises to help more patients be referred for hospice and palliative care in a timely manner.

My guest Jeremy Powell is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Acclivity Health Solutions, a company that aims to transform the management of advanced illness while honoring the patient’s dignity, goals and values. He discusses how technology can help us solve some of the greatest challenges we face in the provision of end-of-life care and why we should embrace technology rather than feel intimidated by it. Learn more at the website:

www.acclivityhealth.com

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Current healthcare challenges (including hospice and palliative care) that urgently need to be addressed
  • How COVID-19 has impacted these challenges
  • What technology is being developed to address the challenges facing hospice and palliative care
  • How Machine Learning can provide data that leads to more timely referrals to hospice and palliative care
  • Why lack of interoperability in electronic health records is a deterrent to good patient care
  • How the “3rd Platform” for EHR’s will deconstruct the silos that have existed in healthcare
  • How COVID-19 helped accelerate acceptance of telemedicine
  • Why it’s necessary to look at healthcare finances in order to ensure the survival of hospice in the future
  • Why a technology-driven approach to care does not threaten but can enhance patient-centered care at end of life

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my new patrons Mary Ganapol and Katherine Pettus! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 328 Sacred Death Care and the Deathwalker Archetype with Sarah Kerr PhD

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Learn how to tell if you’ve been called to be a “deathwalker” and how to offer sacred care to others at the end of life.

My guest Sarah Kerr has been a death doula, ritual healing practitioner, and trainer since 2012. She draws on nature-based spirituality, sacred sciences, and the richness of the human soul in her work and she is the founder of The Centre for Sacred Deathcare. She discusses the “deathwalker archetype,” how many people are being called right now to do this work, and the courses she offers to help us create more complete maps for dying, death and bereavement. Learn more about Sarah’s work at her websites:

Education and training: www.sacreddeathcare.com

Death doula services: www.soulpassages.ca

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Sarah was drawn to the work she does as a death doula, ritual practitioner and trainer
  • Why social healing requires getting accustomed to endings and death
  • How death care helps us merge our knowledge of science and spirituality
  • How The Centre for Sacred Deathcare got started
  • Challenges and blessings that have arisen from COVID
  • Simple, personal rituals for being present during difficult times
  • What is the “Deathwalker Archetype” and how to know if it is active in your psyche
  • How Western medicine leaves out the Soul when dealing with health issues
  • Why we need new maps for dying, death and bereavement
  • The 3 maps of The Soul’s Journey Course Sarah teaches
  • Why Deathwalkers need to be in community with one another

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my new patron Lelia Ball! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 323 Self-Care Tools for 2021 and Why We Need Them Now with Suzanne O’Brien RN

kwyattmd

Learn why self-care and love are essential tools to master right now as we navigate these days of grief, transformation and healing.

My guest Suzanne O’Brien is a hospice and wellness nurse, international speaker, and bestselling author. She the founder and creator of The International Doulagivers® Institute and the Doulagivers® Life Class and Wellness Membership. She has traveled the world educating and helping build training programs to support community-based end-of-life care globally. She shares the tools she teaches for self-care during difficult times and why it’s so important to love ourselves. We’ll also learn about a new initiative launching November 1st to train 1 million people around the world to care for people at the end of life and to live their own best lives. Learn more at the website:

https://www.doulagivers.com

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How the pandemic has shifted our energies these past 2 years
  • How Suzanne’s Life Café met the needs of her community during lockdown and continues to reach people from around the world
  • Why we especially need to tend to our own physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs right now
  • Why stillness is important as we connect with our inner selves
  • True self-care requires self-love
  • A morning practice for self-awareness and care
  • Changing our inner world to be more loving will change how we perceive the world outside of us
  • The One Million People Trained Campaign

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference.

A End-of-Life Doula Training | Doulagivers
EOLPodcast

Ep. 322 Dealing with Disenfranchised Grief in a Polarized Society

kwyattmd

Learn some helpful tools for dealing with grief even when it seems out of order or controversial.

In this episode I talk about things I’ve learned from my guests over the past two years about dealing with grief during the COVID pandemic. I share clips from two special episodes and lots of resources to help with grief, particularly “disenfranchised” grief that seems to be occurring frequently in our polarized, angry, judgmental society. Let’s all work on our own grief and show more lovingkindness to others who are grieving right now too!

Listen here:

This episode includes:

Additional links:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 319 At the Bedside: Tools for Caring for the Dying with Gabrielle Elise Jimenez

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Learn how this hospice nurse and end-of-life doula is making a difference by sharing the tools she has learned.

My guest Gabrielle Elise Jimenez is a hospice nurse, end-of-life doula and conscious dying educator. She is also the author of three books intended to teach others how to provide care to their own dying loved ones. She talks about the tools she feels are most important for caregivers to learn and she also shares information about her Facebook page that exploded with new members when people started posting about their grief. Learn more about her books and courses at her website:

www.thehospiceheart.net

Get her books here

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Gabby ended up becoming a hospice nurse and an end-of-life doula
  • The tools needed to care for a dying loved one at home
  • How to help families with grief in hospice
  • How Gabby tapped into the huge need for grief support that exists in our world right now
  • Advice for healthcare professionals who need to recognize their own grief
  • How to stay in balance while doing emotionally challenging work
  • The impact of COVID on hospice workers
  • 3 things everyone should know about death and dying
  • How to live our best lives by recognizing that we will die one day

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 317 It’s Your Funeral! A “Fun” Guide to Planning for the End with Kathy Benjamin

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Learn about a helpful and humorous workbook for funeral planning.

My guest Kathy Benjamin is a freelance writer whose work has appeared on various sites including Uproxx, Playboy’s The Smoking Jacket, and Cracked.com. She is the author Funerals to Die For and the recently released It’s Your Funeral: Plan the Celebration of a Lifetime Before it’s Too Late. She shares how she got interested in writing about funerals and some of the fascinating facts she’s learned over time about the importance of funerals throughout history and across all societies. We also discuss her set-by-step guide to creating a great funeral. Connect with Kathy at her website:

www.KathyBenjamin.com

Get It’s Your Funeral here.

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Kathy got inspired to write two books about funerals
  • How she did research for the topics in the book
  • Why funerals are important and how it helps to plan one in advance
  • Some of the components of a good funeral to consider in your planning:
    • Venue
    • Funeral roles
    • Theme
    • Eulogy
    • Burial options
  • Interesting funeral traditions from around the world
  • Challenges for funeral planning during the pandemic
  • Why It’s Your Funeral could be a good humorous gift for a milestone birthday
  • How to use the book to get started on planning your funeral now

Links mentioned in this episode:

  • Follow Kathy on social media:
    • Facebook: facebook.com/kab18
    • Twitter: @KathyBenjamin

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 316 “Deep Dive” Part 2: COVID, Self-Care and Meeting People Where They Are with Deanna Cochran RN

kwyattmd

Learn why being present and quiet can be the best way to help people at the end of life.

Deanna Cochran, hospice nurse, EOL doula, and founder of the CareDoula® School of Accompanying the Dying returns in this episode for Part 2 of our “deep dive” conversation (check out Part 1 here.) We talk about the impact of COVID on end-of-life work and how it has brought to our awareness the inequities that exist in our society and in healthcare. Caring for ourselves is another important topic of our discussion and Deanna shares how she stays sane while doing incredibly stressful work. Learn more at Deanna’s website:

www.certifiedcaredoula.com

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • The lessons learned from dealing with COVID
  • Why a commitment to self-care is necessary for end-of-life workers
  • The practices Deanna relies upon to maintain physical, emotional and spiritual health while doing this work
  • Choosing language around death and dying that people are comfortable with
  • Allowing awareness of death to unfold for other people on their own time frame
  • Why being quiet and saying nothing is sometimes the most helpful thing we can do
  • The blessing of beginner’s mind vs the challenge of expertise
  • “Guiding from behind” and knowing when to take charge

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes. Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 304 How Men Grieve: The WE GRIEVE Community with Karl Shackelford

kwyattmd

Learn how men grieve differently than women and about an online community where men can find support.

My guest Karl Shackelford is a board-certified chaplain who spent many years working with hospice patients. He is also a certified HeartMath® trainer who helps those struggling with the effects of stress, anxiety and adversity to build resilience. Karl is the founder of We Grieve, which is an online community where grieving people come together to heal. Today he’ll share how he created that community and why he went on to start a grief group specifically for men. Learn more at the website:

www.wegrieve.net

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How COVID became a catalyst for the formation of the online We Grieve community
  • Why Karl decided to start a grief group for guys
  • How men grieve differently than women
  • How our society has shamed men for their emotions and failed to support them in their grief
  • Why men benefit from a men-only grief group
  • How HeartMath® tools help people who are grieving
  • A simple HeartMath® exercise to use in the moment
  • Weekly free grief workshops offered online by We Grieve
  • How to “gift” a membership in We Grieve to someone who is grieving
  • How to become a facilitator for We Grieve

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference!

EOLPodcast

Ep. 290 How to Restore Joy After Loss: Tools and Strategies with Joy Lucinda

kwyattmd

Learn how a hospice worker became a coach who teaches about joy to help navigate grief and loss.

My guest Joy Lucinda worked as a health care professional serving hospice patients, persons with dementia and their families for more than 20 years. She now does coaching and consulting to help others share their unique gifts with the world and navigate grief and loss. She discusses some of the simple tools she has found to help people experience joy even in the midst of loss and difficulty. She is the author of the book Restore Joy After Loss. Learn more about her work at her website:

www.joylucinda.com

Get the book here

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Why Joy shifted from hospice work to consulting and coaching
  • The difficulty of experiencing joy in the midst of suffering
  • Why joy is always present if only we remember to look for it
  • Simple tools for shifting out of fear into a neutral state
  • The four “R’s” for getting through the pandemic, grief and chaos
    • Rest
    • Retreat
    • Rediscover
    • Restore
  • Why we need to use strong and positive words to help shift our emotional state
  • Embracing change by talking to your future self
  • The importance of surrender as we move forward in 2021

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference!

EOLPodcast

Ep. 289 Echobox: Preserving the Story of Our Lives with Tim Roberts

kwyattmd

Learn about an innovative new app for storing and sharing image and stories of our lives and those of our loved ones.

My guest Tim Roberts is an artist, musician, app developer, idea our and dreamer who lives in Calgary Canada. He created the digital legacy project Echobox Memory Vault™ and worked with a developer to turn it into an app. Today he will tell us how the app works and why it’s important for us to save and share our memories as stories and images for our loved ones. Learn more about Echobox Memory Vault™ at the website:

https://echobox.ca

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Tim was inspired to create Echobox
  • Who can benefit from using Echobox and how it works
  • How privacy and security are maintained in the Echobox app, unlike many social media sites
  • Why it can be helpful to preserve memories digitally
  • The importance of stories to help us makes sense of the past and inspire future generations
  • The positive response of the healthcare world for Echobox
  • How Echobox helps connect people who can’t be together because of COVID
  • How Echobox can help with grief and bereavement

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest supporter Carrie Andrews! Your contributions make all the difference!

EOLPodcast

Ep. 288 PEACH: Palliative Education and Care for the Homeless with Dr. Naheed Dosani

kwyattmd

Learn about an innovative program to provide end-of-life care to people living on the streets and in shelters in Toronto.

My guest Dr. Naheed Dosani is the founder of PEACH, a mobile outreach program that provides palliative care to the homeless on the streets and in the shelters of Toronto. His model led to the development of Journey Home Hospice, Toronto’s first hospice for the homeless, which opened in May 2018. He’ll share how and why he started PEACH and inspire all of us to be more aware of and active in dealing with the issues of homelessness and health inequities in our communities. Learn more about PEACH at this webpage:

http://www.icha-toronto.ca/peach-covid-19-palliative-care-resources-for-physicians-and-frontline-workers

Follow Dr. Dosani:

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • What inspired Naheed to create a palliative care program for homeless people
  • How PEACH functions and provides care for patients on the streets and in shelters
  • Why there is a great need for palliative care for the homeless population
  • Health issues faced by homeless people and their shockingly low life expectancy
  • How to replicate PEACH in other cities and countries
  • Trauma-informed care and why it is needed for all patients, including those who are homeless
  • Why we need systemic change in medicine to provide more equitable care to all people
  • Dealing with grief, compassion fatigue and moral injury for healthcare providers
  • Why we’re facing a global pandemic of grief due to COVID-19

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference!

EOLPodcast

Ep. 282 The Beauty of What Remains with Rabbi Steve Leder

kwyattmd

Listen as Rabbi Steve Leder shares the wisdom learned through caring for the spiritual needs of his temple members at the end of life.

My guest Rabbi Steve Leder is the senior rabbi of Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles and the author of several books including the recently released The Beauty of What Remains: How Our Greatest Fear Becomes Our Greatest Gift. His beautifully-written book is based upon his experience providing spiritual care to thousands of temple members and their families as they faced the end of life. Interwoven with dozens of stories he learned as “Rabbi Steve” are the personal stories of “Son Steve”, navigating his father’s illness and eventual death from Alzheimer’s dementia. We share a deep and thoughtful conversation about the challenges of facing death and the beautiful life lessons it teaches us. Learn more about Rabbi Steve’s work at his website:

www.SteveLeder.com

Get the book on Bookshop or Amazon

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • What inspired Rabbi Steve to write this book
  • The meaning of the title “The Beauty of What Remains”
  • Advice for how to “show up” for the dying
  • Dealing with the character flaws and secrets of the deceased when writing a eulogy
  • The need for greater honesty and authenticity when being with the dying
  • Why we can’t understand deep grief until we experience it ourselves
  • Why funerals during COVID may actually be more meaningful than before
  • How the dead speak to us through our memories
  • Why we must focus on “being a good ancestor” to those who will follow us

“Dying makes perfect sense to the dying, just not to the living; the same way that breathing underwater makes perfect sense to the fish but not to us.”

Rabbi Steve Leder

Links mentioned in this episode:

  • Get The Beauty of What Remains here
  • Check out “10 Days to Activate Revolutionary Love” here
  • Sign up for the 2021 online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously at this link
  • Support your local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul
  • Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio
  • Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here
  • Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest supporter S. Robertson! Your contributions make all the difference!

EOLPodcast, Spirituality

Ep. 280 What the World Needs From Us in 2021

kwyattmd

Learn how we can help humanity and the planet get through a challenging new year.

In this solo episode I share a discussion about what we can and should bring to the world this year as death-aware, death-positive individuals. During the past year the world has been turned upside down with the global pandemic, economic downturn, systemic racism, and climate change. As we begin this new year we are still suffering but we are better prepared for the changes that are happening and the world needs us to get through these difficult days.

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Many people in our society are dealing with despair, depression, anxiety and shock after being exposed to the reality of our fragile existence here.
  • Those of us who are comfortable with death need to step up to help others cope with change
  • The world needs from us:
    • Calmness
    • Creativity
    • Balance
    • Collaboration
    • Integrity
    • Presence
  • We need a non-dual approach to overcome the polarization of our society

Links mentioned in this episode:

  • The Conference on Death and Bereavement Studies: A Professional Development Symposium – January 10, 2021 Learn more here
  • Spiritual Journeys in Chronic Illness Course – with Terri Daniels – starts January 7th Learn more here
  • Sign up for the 2021 online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously at this link
  • Support you local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul
  • Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio
  • Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here
  • Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest supporter Delores Hammons! Your contributions make all the difference!

EOLPodcast, Grief

Ep. 279 Grieving What Has Been Lost in 2020

kwyattmd

One of the most challenging years of our lives is drawing to a close and it’s time to honor all of the grief we have experienced.

In this final episode of 2020 I share some poems and verses that have helped me give words to the grief I’ve experienced this year. It’s important to grieve what has been lost before we move on to setting goals and making plans for next year so this final week of 2020 is the perfect time to “be” with our grief. Wishing you a blessed ending to this year and a hopeful and meaningful beginning of the new one!

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Why we need to make a place for our grief
  • Poem: Talking to Grief by Denise Levertov
  • Why we cannot understand our own grief when we are in the middle of it
  • Quote from Morihei Ueshiba
  • How a non-dual perspective of grief helps us eventually find our own answers within rather than outside of ourselves
  • Verse by Lao Tzu
  • Learn to just “be” in grief rather than “doing” grief
  • Poem: Inukshuk by Rob Jacques
  • Finding grace in little reminders that others have also traveled this road of grief
  • Prayer by Molly Fumia

This is the miracle you already have … and always ask for … in your moments of forgetful suffering.

Links mentioned in this episode:

  • The Conference on Death and Bereavement Studies: A Professional Development Symposium – January 10, 2021 Learn more here
  • Spiritual Journeys in Chronic Illness Course – with Terri Daniels – starts January 7th Learn more here
  • Sign up for the 2021 online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously at this link
  • Support you local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul
  • Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio
  • Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here
  • Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference!

EOLPodcast

Special Episode: Vigil for Those Who Are Oppressed

kwyattmd

On the ninth of each month we have been called to hold space in our communities on life, death and transformation by ObservetheNinth.org. Today’s vigil will hold space for love and compassion for all who are oppressed by systemic injustice and by the weight of grief and fear. May it bring you peace and comfort.

Vigil for Those Who Are Oppressed
VIGIL-Script-December-2020Download
Rainer Maria Rilke, Sonnets to Orpheus II, 29

Quiet friend who has come so far,
feel how your breathing makes more space around you.
Let this darkness be a bell tower
and you the bell. As you ring,
what batters you becomes your strength.
Move back and forth into the change.
What is it like, such intensity of pain?
If the drink is bitter, turn yourself to wine.
In this uncontainable night,
be the mystery at the crossroads of your senses,
the meaning discovered there.
And if the world has ceased to hear you,
say to the silent earth: I flow.
To the rushing water, speak: I am.
EOLPodcast

Ep. 275 Training Caregivers to Meet the Needs of a Loved One with Roz Jones

kwyattmd

Learn how and why we need to train many more family and paid caregivers to meet the needs of our aging population, especially during COVID-19.

My guest Roz Jones is the founder of Jacksonville’s Best Caregivers, an organization in Jacksonville FL that provides short and long term caregivers for facilities and families. She is also an author, speaker, crisis counselor and caregiver coach who trains new caregivers and their family members to offer care at home to their ill loved ones. Learn more about her work at her website:

www.thecaregivercafe.net

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Top 6 things brand new caregivers need to learn before they start caring for a loved one
  • How caregiving has changed during COVID-19
  • What precautions family caregivers should take to keep their loved one safe from COVID-19
  • Why setting clear boundaries is one of the most important tips for caregivers to avoid burnout
  • How to have productive conversations with ill loved ones about difficult subjects like advance directives, financial issues, loss of independence, end of life
  • Why “Loneliness Kills” the elderly, how COVID-19 has made it worse, and how to help
  • Self-care tips for caregivers
  • How to train with Roz to be a well-informed and effective family caregiver

Links mentioned in this episode:

  • Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio
  • Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here
  • Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest supporter Jaime Byrne and renewing supporter Nancy Walker! Your contributions make all the difference!

EOLPodcast

Ep. 274 Self-Care for the Holidays During COVID-19

kwyattmd

Learn some practical ideas for self-care and creative ways to find meaning in the holidays during this stressful time of COVID-19.

In this solo episode I share some thoughts about we need to care for ourselves to prevent burnout during this holiday season and some ideas for reimagining our celebrations as we cope with COVID-19. Find some inspiration for your holidays and tips for staying energized and positive during the coming months. Get the handout mentioned in the podcast at the link below:

Quick-Tips-for-SelfCareDownload

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Why self-care is important now and during the holidays
  • What aspects of the holidays people find most meaningful (in surveys)
  • Sources of stress during holiday times
  • How holiday joys can become stresses if there is no balance
  • How COVID-19 is changing what is possible this year for celebrations and why this could be an opportunity to rethink the holidays
  • Finding new ways to be “together” during the holidays
  • New creative ideas for gift-giving when finances are limited
  • Tips for self-care and for re-energizing during stressful times

Links mentioned in this episode:

  • Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio
  • Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here
  • Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference!

EOLPodcast, Grief, Spirituality

Ep. 269 Disenfranchised Grief and Sacred Rituals for Healing with Joél Simone Anthony

kwyattmd

Learn how to restore sacredness to grief and embrace those who are often excluded from the shared grief experience.

My guest Joél Simone Anthony is a licensed funeral director and sacred grief practitioner in Atlanta, Georgia. She utilizes spirituality that is deeply rooted in ancient wisdom in her work guiding families toward healing after a death has occurred. Joél is also a leader in the movement to expose and heal systemic racism in death care and teaches cultural competency courses for funeral professionals. Learn more about her work at her website:

www.thegravewoman.com

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Joél’s calling to become a funeral director
  • How her upbringing exposed her to ancient African culture that informs her work today
  • Definition and examples of disenfranchised grief
  • How ignoring grief has emotional and mental health consequences
  • How COVID interferes with funeral rituals and ideas for creating a sense of community during a time of isolation
  • Simple rituals to help with grief
  • “The Grief Kit” as a tool for dealing with loss
  • How systemic racism in death care can occur due to a lack of education
  • Joél’s courses:
    • Shifting Deathcare: Tools for a New Paradigm (in collaboration with others)
    • Self Care for Death Professionals
    • Racism in Death Care
    • Cultural Competency for Funeral Professionals

Links mentioned in this episode:

  • Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio
  • Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here
  • Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference!

EOLPodcast

Ep. 265 Finding Hope in Difficult Times

kwyattmd

Learn how finding the goodness of life can give you hope for our current situation.

In today’s solo episode I share some thoughts about the hopelessness many of us are feeling right now as we deal with unimaginable crisis and loss here on planet Earth. I also talk about how important hope is for our survival, how it is misused at times in medicine (though with good intention) to lure patients into futile treatments, and where terminal patients can find realistic hope. All of this can inform us how to move past our own feelings of hopelessness into a more positive state of HOPE.

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Facing up to our current challenges
  • How I used a ritual to help me through my own sadness
  • How Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, represents the perfect time to let go and start with a clean slate
  • Why Autumn reminds us of the cycle of life and impermanence
  • The difference between “false hope” and “realistic hope”
  • How false hope is often used in medical settings
  • Why we need to move past our false hopes and embrace realistic hope right now
  • Where terminal patients can find realistic hope (and we can too)
  • How to find hope in the “goodness” of life

Links mentioned in this episode:

  • Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio
  • Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here
  • Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest Patrons: Eileen Manglass and Sandy Jane Stacy. Your contributions make all the difference!

EOLPodcast

Special Episode: Vigil for Overcoming Fear

kwyattmd

On the ninth of each month we have been called to hold space in our communities on life, death and transformation by ObservetheNinth.org. Today’s vigil will hold space for love and compassion for all of humankind and for the planet itself. May it bring you peace and comfort.

Vigil for Overcoming Fear
VIGIL-Script-September-2020Download