Jo Betz | Product/service
Jo Betz
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25.01.2022 BLOG POST - I DIDN’T GET TO SAY GOODBYE This one has been a tough one to write. So tough, that I’ve been writing it since Easter but I just couldn’t find the words. I fell in a very deep and dark hole of grief earlier this year. What began as an unsettling time with COVID resulted in me watching a flash mob video with the awful realisation that I didn’t get to say goodbye to my husband - and boy it hurts. Even thinking about it, literally takes my breath away.... These kind of realisations are tough on grieving people and we are not immune to unravelling, no matter how far along we are in our grief journey. For my experience of this, read here - https://www.jobetz.com.au/blogs//i-didnt-get-to-say-goodbye See more
25.01.2022 Thank you Geelong Cemeteries Trust for allowing me to share my experience with the incredible bereavement organisations we have in Geelong. I am very grateful to Hope Bereavement Care and Wombat's Wish for their support, and this is why 5% of all sales of my journal go towards these wonderful organisations.
24.01.2022 The only constant in life is change! Gee, that Heraclitus, really knew what he was on about. Anyone else feeling a little anxious this week? Here I was thinking I’d be popping bottles when they announced that school was going back, instead I felt emotional and rattled. I also thought I’d be jumping at the chance to see friends, instead I want to keep hiding in my little iso bubble. ... It feels like just as we adapted to iso life, another round of change seems to be upon us. Change is exhausting - mentally, physically and emotionally. How we are feeling is perfectly normal, we have been through a lot, so it’s a natural response to be feeling change fatigue. Today, I share some strategies to cope with change, along with the importance of setting boundaries as we re-introduce ourselves into post iso-life - https://www.jobetz.com.au/strategies-for-coping-with-change/ See more
23.01.2022 "When my husband died unexpectedly, I was thrust into the world of grief and it was all consuming. I felt very alone." Grief - a guided journal' has been created for those wishing to explore their grief after the death of a loved one. Whether your loss was six months ago, or six years, this journal is a safe space to journal on a variety of topics. From the stages of grief, connection and anger, to loneliness, gratitude, regret and more - guided writing prompts are provided e...very step of the way. This journal provides an opportunity to lean into your grief, to not shy away from those unsettling feelings. To simply let it all out. Through the proven therapeutic benefits of writing, this 160 page hardcover journal will allow you to self-explore, heal and improve wellbeing.
22.01.2022 It’s been a tough few days as I navigated Father’s Day and Craig’s anniversary along with my grief. On Monday I took a beautiful stroll, well I say stroll, it was a 15km trek along the Great Ocean Road and let all my emotions out. From sadness and anger to also thinking how beautiful our world can be and how grateful I am to be here. Oysters and prawns for dinner, a little tradition Craig and I always had, any excuse hey! If you can find what makes you feel good, and do it, I always encourage that. A little bit of self-care often goes a long way.
20.01.2022 It’s so important to be kind to yourself, especially in grief. I’ve found it that little bit harder to be kind to myself this year because COVID hasn’t really allowed me much time to myself. And I have just kind of kept going and going and going and I’m tired. Really tired. My grief journal talks about kindness to oneself and so I took a leaf out of my own book tonight. ... I was kind to myself tonight by booking a couple of nights away to take place soon and I cannot wait. It’s already put a spring in my step. So watch out mini getaway, I’m coming for you! #givinggriefavoice #griefaguidedjournal
20.01.2022 'Grief - a guided journal' has been created for those wishing to explore their grief after the death of a loved one. Whether your loss was six months ago, or six years, this journal is a safe space to journal on a variety of topics. From the stages of grief, connection and anger, to loneliness, gratitude, regret and more - guided writing prompts are provided every step of the way. This journal provides an opportunity to lean into your grief, to not shy away from those unsettl...ing feelings. To simply let it all out. Through the proven therapeutic benefits of writing, this 160 page hardcover journal will allow you to self-explore, heal and improve wellbeing.
19.01.2022 When I heard this phrase I immediately thought YES! I won't lie, I spent a good year in grief trying to avoid any bad feelings. I thought that if I simply ignored it, and thought positively, all my grief problems would be solved and I would be HEALED! Instead all that resulted was a very exhausted, fatigued, crazy Jo that didn't know what to do with feelings like anger, regret, hurt, loneliness and a whole lot more. I was suffering, my brain was suffering ...and so was my body. When I finally crashed and burned from the running (because you can only out-run grief for so long) I had to give into my grief and boy did it hurt. But I've learned now that if you don't feel it, you can't heal it. While thinking positively can really help, sometimes you've got to sit in the pain. Now this doesn't mean that you have to wallow and spend weeks/month/years feeling ALL the pain. It just means that when you're experiencing bad feelings that it's important to sit with it, acknowledge it and try not to push it away. Because if you do push it away, it will just manifest at another point - those feelings must go somewhere. So how do you feel it? How do you acknowledge bad feelings? Some great ways you can process painful feelings is to talk to someone or write about it. Get all those emotions out. Alternatively if you're the creative type, maybe you could draw or paint. Or you could use meditation/walking/running to put yourself into a space of some deep thinking while letting the feelings flow. Is it fun? Absolutely not. Is it worth it? Definitely.
19.01.2022 BLOG POST - Dear friends, The world has changed. Everything has shifted. ... What we are collectively experiencing right now is grief - we are grieving our old lives. When things seemed brighter, stable and certain. But now we’ve all been rocked. And I’ve been here once before. So friends, today I share with you via my blog my experiences of grief, some of the feelings and phases you will go through as well as what you can do when your whole world has been rocked. I hope it might help in some way. Go easy on yourself, life sure is a wild ride. Much love, Jo https://www.jobetz.com.au/the-world-has-changed/
19.01.2022 Behind the scenes! I’ve had a big day filming with my friends Annette + Dani Films and Circus Media Co. today for a little project I’m working on. A lot of laughs, tears and I’ve honestly been left wondering how on earth the professionals do this on a day to day basis ... I look forward to sharing the results soon!
17.01.2022 Thank you GT magazine from the bottom of my heart for sharing my story in such a beautiful way. It’s safe to say I’ve been a hot mess of emotion since the launch of my journal on Thursday night I have been completely overwhelmed by the love and support sent my way. ... But more so I’ve been blown away by your orders of Grief - a guided journal. To know that people are prioritising and exploring their own grief, or wanting to help others they love explore their own, makes my heart burst. This is the exact reason I created this journal. Thank you x See more
16.01.2022 Kind words.... I sent a care package to my grieving friend. She rang me and said she cried real, big, fat tears at how beautiful your journal was and that she felt she had somewhere safe to grieve. Thank you. Megan A... Photo Jess Egan
16.01.2022 BLOG POST - It’s Valentine’s day, so what better time to address dating and the widow I really hope Mum isn’t reading this, but I’m sure she is - Mum! This one can be quite the taboo topic and often glossed over, though now I am a widow, I’m not sure why. Have I dated? Head over to the blog and find out while I second guess myself on letting this blog go live - https://www.jobetz.com.au/out-of-date/
15.01.2022 Sheryl Sandberg shares her story of loss and the gratitude she has found in grief. I am more vulnerable than I thought, but stronger than I ever imagined. Words I often remind myself in my own grief.
14.01.2022 We’ve been doing some work with the wonderful Jo Betz on her personal brand, PR planning as well as workshopping some other exciting opportunities. They say you... attract the energy you put out into the world and getting to work with epic humans like Jo just makes our heart sing CC: Jo Betz - Speaker, Writer, Celebrant #WelcomeToTheCircus
13.01.2022 Whether it’s 6 months or 16 years after the death of a loved one - hearts stay broken. So it is so important to give yourself space when it comes to your grief. I had a chat with a beautiful friend of mine during the week who was coming up to two years since the death of her Dad. She told me she would probably work on the anniversary and if she didn’t feel up to it on the day, she would just pull the pin. I hate telling people what to do, but I gently sugg...ested maybe she should consider it the other way around. Take the day off and then if she felt up to it, she could work. Because grief can hit you out of nowhere, especially on important dates such as an anniversary or birthday. Grievers would also know grief can hit you on a random Tuesday while washing the dishes or a Saturday morning while driving in the car and listening to a song. So give yourself space when it comes to your grief. Factor the important dates in and clear the calendar. Even if the day goes by and you feel good, that’s better than finding yourself locked into a calendar of things to do, feeling bad/stressed/anxious/trying to hold it together. Hearts stay broken, it is so important to remember that, no matter how far along the grief journey you are. If you’d like to explore your broken heart further, Grief a guided journal is a great place to start. You can pick up a copy here - https://www.jobetz.com.au/products/grief-a-guided-journal
10.01.2022 BLOG POST - It was while scrolling social media that I came across some news that made my stomach lurch. An accident in Melbourne tragically taking the lives of four police officers. I immediately felt nauseous and was transported back to a place of grief and the impact of sudden death and loss. My heart hurts immensely for the police officers who have so tragically had their lives cut short, and my heart hurts harder for those left behind. ... I wanted to share some of what they might be experiencing right now, from my own experience, if you’re interested in taking a read - https://www.jobetz.com.au/grief-the-most-painful-kind-of-l/ See more
09.01.2022 A beautiful bunch of flowers were gifted to me today after speaking at my old secondary school about grief. I feel like I should thank them for being so open to teaching their students about grief, and the overwhelm, confusion and loneliness that can be felt. It was a wonderful session and I was so impressed by their questions and I really hope more schools embrace grief as part of their students learning also.
09.01.2022 HOW TO HELP SOMEONE WHO IS GRIEVING. What I've loved most over the last week has been the number of you who have reached out and let me know that you simply want to know how to support someone you love, who is grieving. It ain't easy...I know. Especially in these times.... So, how do we support people who are grieving, what can we do to ease the pain in any way? I've popped together a list of things you can do to show your love and support to someone in the hardest of times. They are over on my blog - https://www.jobetz.com.au//how-to-help-someone-who-is-grie Please keep in mind some of these ideas you may not be able to execute because of COVID, especially for Victorian's who are currently in lockdown. However, keep this list handy, because lock down will eventually end (well at least I bloody hope so), but the grief your loved one is feeling won't. If there are other ideas you have, please comment below. Let's help each other. #griefaguidedjournal #givinggriefavoice
08.01.2022 It's incredibly unlikely I will ever have another child, and it's yet another aspect of my loss that I had underestimated. Today I share my thoughts with Mamamia about this. https://www.mamamia.com.au/raising-child-alone-grief
07.01.2022 . , , , , , . . , . While we’re slowly adapting to restrictions, one aspect that is harder to accept and adapt to is the impact COVID-19 is having on funerals. I shared with Cir...cus Media Co. my thoughts around this as well as some quick tips to support anyone or ourselves if currently dealing with the death of a loved one. Be sure to take a read - bit.ly/2UfZTmL
06.01.2022 I WROTE A BOOK! Well it's a journal, but it's kind of a book, but it's also a journal. Introducing, 'Grief - a guided journal' by me. ... I have been writing a social media post about this journal for what feels like 18 years, because I feel so bloody emotional and I don't even know where to start. So here's what you need to know for now; 1. If you're grieving, this journal is for you. I have put my heart and soul into creating a safe writing space for you to explore your grief. A space to let it all out, with no judgment or positive platitudes. There are guided writing prompts every step of the way. From the stages of grief, loneliness, anger and regret, to connection, kindness, gratitude and so much more. 2. If you know someone who is grieving, and all you want to do is help. THIS can help. This journal can be popped on their shelf to be picked up and written in whenever the person grieving feels ready. Or I'm very happy to post it on your behalf. 3. This journal is available to purchase right now via my website. 4. I'd love you to share this journal with your family, your friends, your neighbour, work colleagues and even the postman, because I'm sure I will be. I don't care who you share it with, I'd just love them to know it's out there. I'm excited, terrified, happy and sad at the very bittersweet nature of how this came to be - but so proud to be giving grief a voice. Time to watch this space! #givinggriefavoice #griefaguidedjournal Photo @jessegan_ Design @katenosedadesigner
05.01.2022 So it looks like I'll be spending the anniversary of Craig's death in iso this year...oh and it is a double whammy too - Father's Day on the Sunday then straight into the anniversary the following day. Go me! The build up is building and I won't lie, my body is already feeling it. If you are grieving and have endured an iso anniversary, send some hints and tips or wine my way! Just kidding on the wine...my cupboard is filled...unless this 3 weeks goes down hill fast. Anyway,... wish me luck! #givinggriefavoice #griefaguidedjournal x
03.01.2022 I recently had a chat with Elizabeth Anile of Lemonade podcast about my experiences with grief, how my relationship with grief has changed, as well as more about my story. It was honest, raw and a wonderful to talk so candidly with Elizabeth. So if you're going for a walk, or a drive or have some time, take a listen by going to the below links;... Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/lemonade/id1484473070 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3NYhNDWuyH0VXibjwHLANK
02.01.2022 WHAT HAPPENED? More often than not you see a smiling Jo and a happy voice beaming out from social media. But that’s not what I’m sharing tonight. It’s no secret I talk about the loss of Craig and my grief a lot. What I don’t talk much about is what actually happened the night he died.... I often gloss over it and give the ‘nice’ version of events. But the truth is, it wasn’t nice. But to truly understand me, it’s this side of me that you need to know. What I experienced that night and in the hours, days and weeks that followed are unimaginable. It’s often hard for me to fathom some of the the things I have witnessed and had to do. If I sometimes feel silenced in my grief, I feel even further silenced in my trauma and because of this I have never quite known how to share my story until the incredible Zoe Marshall gave me the opportunity to share on her podcast The Deep. It was a hugely important step for me and has allowed me to remember that what happened to me was in fact really, really bad. This podcast is not pretty, it’s not the ‘nice’ version of events... but it is what happened and it’s my story. It’s part of who I am. I cannot thank Zoe enough for her care and listening ear as she nurtured me through this podcast. To listen via Apple Podcasts you can use the link here; https://podcasts.apple.com//podcast/the-widow/id1515060551
01.01.2022 BLOG POST - WHAT IT'S LIKE BEING A SOLO MOTHER It's almost Mother's Day and here I am, ridin' solo! So tonight I wanted to share with you what it's like being a solo mother and how it's going for me. ... If I'm honest it has never been a role I've relished. It is far from effortless, let me tell you - if you're interested in reading more about my solo parenting journey, see the link - https://www.jobetz.com.au/ridin-solo-what-it-is-like-to-be/ PS - if you're worried that I'll miss out on Mother's Day, fear not, this mummy has been putting online shopping to GREAT use! Photo @withlovefromnearandfar See more
01.01.2022 BLOG POST - Need a giggle? I know I do! Are you familiar with the stages of grief? You might have heard of them, but if not, they are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. But I am going to call bullsh*t on this. Because in my mind, there’s way more. Way more! In fact I’ve come up with ten, yes ten, extra stages of grief that no one ever told me about.... So here’s a little tongue-in-cheek look at the ten extra stages of grief I may or may not have experienced over time. To read all about it, head here - https://www.jobetz.com.au/blo/blog/10-extra-stages-of-grief See more
