Soft Edges: Grief, Suicide, & Gratitude Practice *Trigger warning - frank discussion of death by suicide, & personal suicidal ideation*

I recorded this the morning I heard about a recent death by suicide connected to a close friend. I didn’t know the woman, but I have been her.

That’s what this episode is about: the strange intimacy of grief and how tiny practices help me stay with it. This is about company, not spectacle.

What’s inside:

• ​ A short, honest piece of my story: why I make these practices and what suicidal thinking looked like for me. Skip this section if talk of suicide is a no go for you💖.

• ​4:37 - A simple grounding practice I regularly use + a gratitude micro-exercise (not fake sunshine)

Why a gratitude practice?

Research shows structured gratitude exercises (think “counting blessings” or short gratitude meditations) reliably nudge mood, lower anxiety/depression symptoms, and help attention shift toward what’s nourishing. PubMedPMC

There’s also neuroscience that links gratitude and related practices to activity in brain regions tied to reward, value, and connection — basically, practicing gratitude helps your brain notice and value connection more often. PMCFrontiers

A few things to be very clear about, one, this is not therapy and not a crisis intervention. It’s a short, companion practice recorded as an MVP. Minimally edited, offered now because “now” matters.

If you feel like you might harm yourself, call emergency services (9-1-1) immediately. For anyone in Canada, call or text 9-8-8 for 24/7 suicide crisis support. Canada.ca 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline

For Toronto local support, Distress Centres of Greater Toronto are available at 416-408-4357 (408-HELP). Distress Centres Of Greater Toronto

If this helped (or didn’t) — please tell me. A short rating, a DM, or a line on Ko-fi helps shape the next episode and keeps this work ethical and human.

If you can, support me on Ko-fi , or commission something personal. Your support allows for me to do what I love, and gives sliding-scale access for listeners who can’t afford to donate.

Thanks for being here. I’ll keep making these small practices, as messy and human as they are. — Dani Eve (therapised, messy, stubbornly hopeful)

Quick research reads (short list in notes): Emmons & McCullough (counting blessings experiment); systematic reviews/meta-analyses of gratitude interventions (see 2023 review); accessible neuroscience summaries on gratitude and reward network changes. PubMedPMC+1PMC+1