Every Loss Is an Identity Crisis in Disguise | Njeri Njuhigu

Grief does not only take the person who died. It takes who you were to them. In this episode, Njeri Njuhigu, an identity grief and emotional regulation strategist and former television producer who spent 13 years as a caregiver for her parents, joins host Niki Weiss to talk about anticipatory grief, why avoidance is protection rather than procrastination, and what happens to a person when the role they built their life around disappears. CHAPTERS 0:00 Meet Njeri Njuhigu 0:42 Thirteen years of caregiving while producing television 2:08 Why we celebrate a life coming in but not a life going out 2:31 What people are actually afraid of 3:36 Every major loss is an identity crisis in disguise 4:44 Divorce, layoffs, and the losses we never call grief 6:38 What anticipatory grief actually is 7:04 What Kubler-Ross actually studied, and what we got wrong 7:34 What grief does to your body and your brain 8:45 Anticipatory grief, in real time 11:16 You are not procrastinating, you are protecting yourself 13:19 Where to start: forgiveness 13:57 The Ho'oponopono prayer 14:54 Why saying the full name out loud matters 17:43 We die twice, and now three times 18:58 Time capsule or ritual: what to do with a digital estate 22:03 Where she stands on grief bots 23:57 Digital twins and who owns them after you die 26:04 Grief is 100 for 100 26:32 The issues are in the tissues 28:11 Forgiveness, surrender, breath WHAT YOU WILL LEARN - Why avoiding end of life planning is protection, not procrastination - What anticipatory grief is, and why it applies to jobs and divorce as well as death - The physical changes grief produces in the body and the brain - Why grief bots built for subscription can extend grief instead of easing it - Two practices you can use today: naming the person in full, and returning to the breath Start your plan and take the free assessment: https://finalplaybook.com/main-page LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/death-and-dying-in-the-digital-age/id1775499012 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2MQkOgvyPQnLEz1fO9BHkY Subscribe: @DigitalLegacyPodcast FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/endevo_digitallegacy/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@endevo_digitallegacy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/endevo.digitallegacy Download the My Final Playbook app: Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/my-final-playbook/id6791298756 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=endevo.life.finalplaybook #deathanddyinginthedigitalage #ENDevo #digitallegacy #digitallegacypodcast #myfinalplaybook Disclaimer: This channel is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, legal, or financial advice. Views expressed by the host and guests are their own. Always consult qualified professionals before making decisions. The channel is not responsible for actions taken based on its content. Re-uploads or ANY use of our content is prohibited.