Grief, Growth & Grit: Pearl on Losing Her Son and Learning to Live Again

Welcome to another heartfelt episode of Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads 💥—the podcast normalizing mental health conversations. This week, we talk with Pearl Chiarenza about grief, resilience, setting boundaries, and finding joy again.
🏆 We’re proud winners of the 2024 People's Choice Podcast Award for Health and the 2024 Women In Podcasting Award for Best Mental Health Podcast! With over 1 million downloads, we couldn't have done it without you.
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Mental Health Quote:

"Healing doesn't mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls our lives."

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Guest Bio - Pearl Chiarenza:

Pearl Chiarenza is a Mental Fitness Life Coach, author, speaker, and founder of the SHERO community, which hosts events and pajama retreats for women. Pearl empowers women to live unapologetically through mental fitness, self-care, and resilience. She’s a mom, a wife, and a fierce advocate for self-discovery.

• Website: https://www.wsliving.com/
• Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soulful-self-care-conversations/id1565952559
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pearl_chiarenza/
• Facebook: https://www.wsliving.com/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKRrlLHaqK0FDKOl42jgZVA
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pearl-chiarenza-8269a8b/

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Podcast Shoutout! 🎧

Go check out How to Be a Grownup by Caitlin & Jenny — funny, real talk for moms navigating the chaos of life! 🙌

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-be-a-grownup-a-humorous-guide-for-moms-with-ck-gk/id1600435714
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/18bYm4GWnS5JKiKcTqRQsT
• Website: https://www.ckandgkpodcast.com/episodes

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Key Takeaways:

• Grief is not something you "get over"—you learn to live with it.
• Setting boundaries is vital to protecting your mental health.
• Healing is an active process: it requires therapy, community, and self-love.

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Actionable Items:

• Write your "Joy List"—10 things that genuinely make you happy.
• Practice saying "No" without apology.
• Stay connected with your support tribe.

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Important Timestamps:

• [00:00-05:00] Meet Pearl and Mental Health Journeys
• [05:00-15:00] Coping with Grief and Family Toxicity
• [15:00-25:00] Breaking Free from People-Pleasing
• [25:00-30:00] Pearl’s Healing Practices
• [30:00-37:00] Advice t