138: Turning Tragedy, Loss, and Grief Into Strength and a New Passion For Life, an Interview With Jen Zwinck

In 2011, Jen's husband Brent attended a bachelor party for a friend. While walking back to his hotel, he was attacked, robbed, and killed. She instantly became a young widow, left to raise their two year old daughter alone.  Overcome with grief and anxiety over the loss, she had to figure out how to heal, how to find relief from the excruciating pain of loss, how to navigate life as a solo mom. She packed 4 suitcases and moved with their daughter Claire to a tiny island in the Caribbean where she knew no one.    Today, she can look back on my journey and recognize the methods and useful tools she found to help her heal through grief. Jen truly believes that every widow has the capacity to endure, the power to overcome, and the determination to create a new life with meaning and purpose.  Jen has a passion to help other widows see what’s possible for them and see that there can be a beautiful life after loss!  That’s how Widow 180: The Podcast came to be. She created the show in 2020 in hopes of spreading hope to people who need to hear it. It’s a show about turning tragedy, loss, and fear into strength, creativity, and a new passion for life.  Each week a different widow is interviewed to share her story of loss, how she coped, and how she has taken the lessons she’s learned and used them to transform and grow.  Jen's mission through the podcast, her YouTube Channel, blog posts, coaching and speaking is to arm other widows with powerful stories of transformation and knowledge so that they can navigate life after loss.  Jen met my now husband, Doug in 2015. 10 months later we got engaged. 10 months later got married. 10 months after that they welcomed their baby girl, Penelope into the world!    In this episode Jen shares with us her tools she used and uses to help heal trauma and grief, she shares her self-care practices, and her morning and night routines.   You can find Jen online: www.widow180.com widowsquad.com Widow 180: The Podcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/widow_180 Email: [email protected] Other courses Jen offers: The How To Rebuild Confidence After Loss (online course) The Finding Purpose and Meaning After Loss Program for Widows (4 week program) The Rediscovery Through Writing Program For Widows (4 week program) You can find Nikki online: Instagram: www.instagram.com/fitfunandfrazzledpodcast www.instagram.com/nikkilanigan.yogaandwellness Links: www.sakara.com  put in code XONIKKIWELLNESS at checkout for 20% off your order.