How do you cope with grief after losing someone you love? Grief can bring sadness, anger, guilt, confusion, exhaustion, loneliness, and even moments of relief—and there isn't one right way to experience it.

In this episode of The Self Help Briefing, Mike and Jen explore how to cope with grief and loss, including ways to work through difficult emotions, care for yourself, stay connected with others, and remember someone you've lost without feeling like you have to simply “move on.”

They also talk about why grief doesn't follow a predictable timeline, how memories can unexpectedly bring emotions rushing back, and why support can sometimes look different depending on your family, culture, community, and relationships.

• Why grief can feel unpredictable
• Coping with sadness, anger, guilt, and other emotions
• Why grief doesn't follow a simple timeline
• Remembering and honoring someone you've lost
• Taking care of yourself while grieving
• Exercise, connection, and social support
• How community can influence the grieving experience
• Why some gay men may experience different support systems around grief
• Learning to live with loss without leaving someone behind

The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss — Mary-Frances O'Connor, PhD

Psychologist and neuroscientist Mary-Frances O'Connor explores what happens in the brain when we lose someone we're deeply attached to and why adapting to that person's absence can take time.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4qPNWCy

Overcoming Grief: How to Cope With Loss

Learn more about grief, coping with loss, self-care, support, and ways of navigating the grieving process.

The Recovery Village: https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/grief/overcoming-grief/

Grief can sometimes be complicated by relationships, family dynamics, social support, and experiences unique to LGBTQ+ communities. This resource explores grief and loss specifically for gay men.

Chicago Therapists: Gay men and grief by Chicago therapists

If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to follow The Self Help Briefing on your favorite podcast platform. And if you have a moment, we'd really appreciate a quick review. It helps other listeners discover the show.

You can visit the podcast at www.theselfhelpbriefing.com to check out our latest episodes or to make contact.

The Self Help Briefing may include affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, the podcast may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Recommendations are selected because we believe they may be useful or relevant to the topic being discussed.

The Self Help Briefing is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing discussed on the podcast should be considered medical, psychological, mental health, legal, or other professional advice. If you have concerns about your physical or mental health, please consult an appropriately qualified professional.

The Self Help Briefing is a production of G Digital Studios. Episodes may be developed from sources available online. Episode artwork may be created using Adobe Firefly or other royalty-free sources. Articles, books, and other resources discussed in an episode are credited and linked in the show notes when applicable. Voiceovers are generated using synthesized audio.

Are you worried AI will take your job? As artificial intelligence rapidly changes the workplace, anxiety about job security, career relevance, and what comes next is becoming increasingly common.

In this episode of The Self Help Briefing, Mike and Jen talk about AI anxiety and why the possibility of being replaced by technology can feel so much bigger than ordinary work stress. Losing a job isn't only about losing a paycheck. Work can be closely tied to identity, competence, independence, security, and the future we imagine for ourselves.

They also explore how uncertainty can lead to endless checking of AI news, LinkedIn posts, Reddit threads, and predictions about which jobs might disappear next. What feels like staying informed can sometimes turn into reassurance-seeking that leaves you even more anxious than before.

You'll also hear why completely avoiding AI may actually make the fear feel bigger, how AI can trigger imposter syndrome and comparison anxiety, and why preparing for uncertainty is very different from trying to eliminate it.

In This Episode

• Why AI-related job anxiety can feel different from ordinary work stress
• How uncertainty fuels catastrophic thinking and “what if I'm next?” fears
• Why compulsively checking AI news can become reassurance-seeking
• The connection between work, identity, competence, and self-worth
• How AI can trigger imposter syndrome and comparison anxiety
• Why avoiding AI completely may reinforce fear
• How to separate what is actually happening today from predictions about the future
• Why resilience and adaptability may matter more than trying to achieve certainty
• How cognitive behavioral therapy can help when anxiety begins affecting sleep, concentration, or everyday functioning

Today's Affirmation

I don't need to know exactly what comes next. I can learn, adapt, and handle change as it comes.

Recommended Reading

The Upside of Uncertainty: A Guide to Finding Possibility in the Unknown by Nathan Furr and Susannah Harmon Furr

Explore The Upside of Uncertainty on Amazon

The book explores how we can move forward, make decisions, and find opportunity even when we don't know exactly what the future holds—a particularly useful idea when navigating rapid changes in technology and the workplace.

Source & Further Reading

For a deeper look at AI-related job anxiety, uncertainty, reassurance-seeking, avoidance, and ways to cope with rapid workplace change, read:

Worried AI Will Replace You? How to Cope With AI Anxiety — Calm Anxiety CBT Therapy Clinic

If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to follow The Self Help Briefing on your favorite podcast platform. And if you have a moment, we'd really appreciate a quick review. It helps other listeners discover the show.

You can visit the podcast at www.theselfhelpbriefing.com to check out our latest episodes or to make contact.

The Self Help Briefing may include affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, the podcast may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Recommendations are selected because we believe they may be useful or relevant to the topic being discussed.

The Self Help Briefing is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing discussed on the podcast should be considered medical, psychological, mental health, legal, or other professional advice. If you have concerns about your physical or mental health, please consult an appropriately qualified professional.

The Self Help Briefing is a production of G Digital Studios. Episodes may be developed from sources available online. Episode artwork may be created using Adobe Firefly or other royalty-free sources. Articles, books, and other resources discussed in an episode are credited and linked in the show notes when applicable. Voiceovers are generated using synthesized audio.

What is it really like to love a Scorpio man?

In this episode of The Self Help Briefing, Mike and Jen take a playful detour into astrology and relationships as they explore some of the personality traits commonly associated with Scorpio men.

Mike happens to be a Scorpio himself, which gives Jen plenty of opportunities to put him on the spot as they talk about intensity, loyalty, jealousy, control, emotional depth, mystery, attraction, and the Scorpio reputation for being especially passionate in relationships.

They also talk about where astrology and psychology can overlap—not as a scientific personality test, but as a way people sometimes use symbols, archetypes, and personality frameworks to think about themselves and their relationships.

• Why Scorpio men are often described as intense and mysterious
• Loyalty, jealousy, and the desire for control
• Why Scorpio men may come across as emotionally distant
• The connection between emotional intimacy and sexual intensity
• How self-awareness can help with challenging relationship patterns
• Why astrology can sometimes be a fun starting point for conversations about personality and relationships

I can be passionate about who I am while still being open to growth. I choose relationships built on trust, honesty, and mutual respect.

This episode was inspired by Guy Counseling’s article “25 Truths About a Scorpio Man In Love and Relationships,” which explores commonly associated Scorpio traits including passion, competitiveness, jealousy, loyalty, independence, emotional intensity, and relationship dynamics. The article also discusses psycho-spirituality and Carl Jung’s use of symbolic and mystical material as a pathway to self-reflection.

Read about the Scorpio Man in Love

If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to follow The Self Help Briefing on your favorite podcast platform. And if you have a moment, we'd really appreciate a quick review. It helps other listeners discover the show.

You can visit the podcast at www.theselfhelpbriefing.com to check out our latest episodes or to make contact.

The Self Help Briefing may include affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, the podcast may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Recommendations are selected because we believe they may be useful or relevant to the topic being discussed.

The Self Help Briefing is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing discussed on the podcast should be considered medical, psychological, mental health, legal, or other professional advice. If you have concerns about your physical or mental health, please consult an appropriately qualified professional.

The Self Help Briefing is a production of G Digital Studios. Episodes may be developed from sources available online. Episode artwork may be created using Adobe Firefly or other royalty-free sources. Articles, books, and other resources discussed in an episode are credited and linked in the show notes when applicable. Voiceovers are generated using synthesized audio.

Worried about money? Financial anxiety can show up as constant money stress, fear about bills or debt, compulsively checking your bank account, or avoiding your finances altogether because they feel overwhelming. In this episode of The Self Help Briefing, Mike and Jen talk about why money anxiety can feel so intense and how uncertainty, shame, catastrophic thinking, and fear about the future can keep financial worries going.

Financial anxiety isn’t always about how much money someone has. As explained in this guide to financial anxiety and money stress from Calm Anxiety CBT Therapy Clinic, people can experience intense anxiety around finances even when their actual financial circumstances are relatively stable. Money can become closely connected to safety, control, identity, and uncertainty, which helps explain why financial stress can feel so personal.

In This Episode

Mike and Jen discuss:

• Why financial anxiety can affect people across very different income levels
• The difference between constantly checking your finances and avoiding them altogether
• Why uncertainty can make money worries feel much bigger
• How financial stress can trigger catastrophic “what if” thinking
• Why money can become tied to self-worth, identity, and shame
• The difference between what is possible and what is actually probable
• How taking one small financial step can make an overwhelming task feel more manageable
• Why talking about money anxiety can sometimes reduce its emotional intensity
• When financial anxiety may be interfering enough with daily life to consider professional support

Today’s Affirmation

“I can face my financial reality without letting fear control me.”

📗Recommended Reading

If money worries tend to take over your thoughts, Mike and Jen recommend The Financial Anxiety Solution, a practical workbook focused on reducing anxiety, avoidance, and overwhelm around money.

Check out The Financial Anxiety Solution on Amazon.

Source Article

This episode was informed by Calm Anxiety CBT Therapy Clinic’s article Financial Anxiety: Why Money Stress Feels So Overwhelming—and What Helps, which explores financial stress, compulsive checking, avoidance, uncertainty, catastrophic thinking, and practical ways to develop a healthier response to money-related anxiety.

Related Podcasts

If financial anxiety tends to send your mind into overdrive, you may also want to listen to Dating Anxiety since money and dating stress often go together.

If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to follow The Self Help Briefing on your favorite podcast platform. And if you have a moment, we'd really appreciate a quick review. It helps other listeners discover the show.

You can visit the podcast at www.theselfhelpbriefing.com to check out our latest episodes or to make contact.

The Self Help Briefing may include affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, the podcast may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Recommendations are selected because we believe they may be useful or relevant to the topic being discussed.

The Self Help Briefing is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing discussed on the podcast should be considered medical, psychological, mental health, legal, or other professional advice. If you have concerns about your physical or mental health, please consult an appropriately qualified professional.

The Self Help Briefing is a production of G Digital Studios. Episodes may be developed from sources available online. Episode artwork may be created using Adobe Firefly or other royalty-free sources. Articles, books, and other resources discussed in an episode are credited and linked in the show notes when applicable. Voiceovers are generated using synthesized audio.

Why do some women keep dating emotionally unavailable men—even when they know the relationship probably isn't going anywhere? Attraction, chemistry, attachment patterns, and the thrill of the chase can make emotionally unavailable men especially hard to walk away from.

In this episode of The Self Help Briefing, Jen takes the lead as she and Mike explore why women can find themselves repeatedly attracted to men who are distant, inconsistent, afraid of commitment, or simply unable to offer the kind of relationship they want.

They talk about the difference between chemistry and anxiety, why emotional stability can sometimes feel strangely boring, and how early attachment experiences may influence who we find attractive later in life. Jen also gets personal about learning the hard way that an attractive man with muscles, money, and plenty of charm isn't necessarily a man who will treat you well.

Because sometimes the hardest part isn't recognizing that he's emotionally unavailable.

It's recognizing why you still want him.

In This Episode

• Why emotionally unavailable men can be so attractive
• The addictive quality of uncertainty and the chase
• How attachment patterns can influence dating choices
• Why “butterflies” aren't always the same thing as healthy chemistry
• When emotional safety gets mistaken for boredom
• How fantasy can keep you attached to someone's potential
• Why choosing an unavailable partner can sometimes protect you from vulnerability
• Learning to recognize calm, consistent, emotionally available love

Today's Affirmation

“I am worthy of love that is present, consistent, and chooses me back.”

Recommended Reading

Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love by Amir Levine, M.D., and Rachel Heller, M.A.

This popular relationship book explores adult attachment styles and how they can influence attraction, intimacy, dating, and the partners we choose.

Check out Attached on Amazon

Source & Further Reading

This episode was inspired in part by the Couples Counseling Chicago article Emotionally Unavailable Men: Why Women Keep Falling for Them, which explores attraction to emotionally unavailable partners, recurring dating patterns, and related relationship dynamics. ---

Related Pods

• Ghosting: Why It Hurts So Much
• Does Your Boyfriend Use You Just for Sex?
• Is Your Boyfriend's Penis TOO Big?

If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to follow The Self Help Briefing on your favorite podcast platform. And if you have a moment, we'd really appreciate a quick review. It helps other listeners discover the show.

You can visit the podcast at www.theselfhelpbriefing.com to check out our latest episodes or to make contact.

The Self Help Briefing may include affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, the podcast may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Recommendations are selected because we believe they may be useful or relevant to the topic being discussed.

The Self Help Briefing is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing discussed on the podcast should be considered medical, psychological, mental health, legal, or other professional advice. If you have concerns about your physical or mental health, please consult an appropriately qualified professional.

The Self Help Briefing is a production of G Digital Studios. Episodes may be developed from sources available online. Episode artwork may be created using Adobe Firefly or other royalty-free sources. Articles, books, and other resources discussed in an episode are credited and linked in the show notes when applicable. Voiceovers are generated using synthesized audio.

You live together. You share routines. You stream shows, pay bills, handle chores, and get through everyday life together.

But somewhere along the way, did your relationship start feeling less romantic—and a lot more like two roommates sharing the same space?

In this episode of The Self Help Briefing, Mike and Jen talk about roommate syndrome—the gradual shift that can happen when romantic partners become more focused on managing everyday life than actually connecting with each other.

They explore some of the signs that a relationship may have slipped into roommate territory, including conversations that revolve around logistics, less physical affection, fading intimacy, separate routines, and that strange feeling of being lonely even when your partner is sitting right beside you. These are among the common patterns associated with roommate syndrome.

But feeling disconnected doesn't necessarily mean the relationship is over. Mike and Jen also talk about ways couples can begin reconnecting—from dating each other again and putting away the phones to asking better questions, restoring affection, and simply becoming curious about each other again. Small, consistent efforts toward connection can matter more than one grand romantic gesture.

Mike and Jen discuss how roommate syndrome develops, the warning signs to watch for, why intimacy involves much more than sex, how routine and everyday pressures can crowd out connection, and what couples can do to start finding their way back to one another.

I choose to be present in my relationships and make space for connection, curiosity, and love.

The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman and Nan Silver

The book explores friendship, communication, emotional connection, and intentionally tending to a relationship.

View the book on Amazon

This episode was inspired in part by “Roommate Syndrome in Relationships: When Partners Feel More Like Housemates” from Couples Counseling Chicago. The source notes that roommate syndrome isn't a formal diagnosis, but rather a recognizable pattern in which romantic partners can gradually begin functioning more like housemates or co-managers than intimate partners.

Read the source article at Couples Counseling Chicago

If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to follow The Self Help Briefing on your favorite podcast platform. And if you have a moment, we'd really appreciate a quick review. It helps other listeners discover the show.

You can visit the podcast at www.theselfhelpbriefing.com to check out our latest episodes or to make contact.

The Self Help Briefing may include affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, the podcast may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Recommendations are selected because we believe they may be useful or relevant to the topic being discussed.

The Self Help Briefing is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing discussed on the podcast should be considered medical, psychological, mental health, legal, or other professional advice. If you have concerns about your physical or mental health, please consult an appropriately qualified professional.

The Self Help Briefing is a production of G Digital Studios. Episodes may be developed from sources available online. Episode artwork may be created using Adobe Firefly or other royalty-free sources. Articles, books, and other resources discussed in an episode are credited and linked in the show notes when applicable. Voiceovers are generated using synthesized audio.

Anxiety can show up in a lot of different ways—from constant worry and racing thoughts to panic attacks, OCD, stress, avoidance, and that nagging feeling that something just isn’t right.

In this episode of The Self Help Briefing, Mike and Jen take a closer look at anxiety disorders and why working with a therapist who specializes in anxiety can make a difference. They also spotlight Calm Anxiety CBT Therapy Clinic and its work with clients in Chicago’s Andersonville community.

You’ll hear about several approaches commonly used in anxiety treatment, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based strategies, and EMDR.

Mike and Jen also talk about what it can feel like to start therapy, the importance of finding a therapist who feels like a good fit, LGBTQ-affirming care, virtual therapy, and why you don’t have to wait until anxiety completely takes over your life before asking for help.

• Why anxiety disorders are so common
• Why some people wait to seek help
• The value of specialized anxiety treatment
• How CBT, ERP, ACT, EMDR, and mindfulness may be used in therapy
• Virtual and in-person therapy options
• Why LGBTQ-affirming mental health care matters
• What to expect when reaching out for therapy
• Calm Anxiety Clinic’s presence in Andersonville

I can ask for help before anxiety takes over my life. I can learn new skills to create a calmer existence.

Calm Anxiety CBT Therapy Clinic provides specialized anxiety treatment for people in Chicago and throughout Illinois. For those who prefer in-person care, the clinic offers services in the Andersonville area along with virtual therapy options.

Learn more about anxiety therapy in Andersonville: Calm Anxiety CBT Therapy Clinic — Andersonville

National Institute of Mental Health — Anxiety Disorders Learn more about anxiety disorders, symptoms, treatment, and current prevalence information.

NIMH: Anxiety Disorders

Information about Calm Anxiety CBT Therapy Clinic, its approach to anxiety treatment, services, and locations was developed from information provided by the clinic.

Calm Anxiety CBT Therapy Clinic FAQs

If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to follow The Self Help Briefing on your favorite podcast platform. And if you have a moment, we'd really appreciate a quick review. It helps other listeners discover the show.

You can visit the podcast at www.theselfhelpbriefing.com to check out our latest episodes or to make contact.

The Self Help Briefing may include affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, the podcast may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Recommendations are selected because we believe they may be useful or relevant to the topic being discussed.

The Self Help Briefing is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing discussed on the podcast should be considered medical, psychological, mental health, legal, or other professional advice. If you have concerns about your physical or mental health, please consult an appropriately qualified professional.

The Self Help Briefing is a production of G Digital Studios. Episodes may be developed from sources available online. Episode artwork may be created using Adobe Firefly or other royalty-free sources. Articles, books, and other resources discussed in an episode are credited and linked in the show notes when applicable. Voiceovers are generated using synthesized audio.