GRIEF: People say and do the wrong things so often when we’re grieving. It can be annoying at the best of times and deeply hurtful at the worst of times. It can feel like a total failure of empathy from the people trusted to be there for you. We spend a lot of time trying to educate […]
GRIEF: A while ago, we wrote an article about the need for self-compassion in grief. At the time, we defined self-compassion and we made a case for the ‘what’ and the ‘why’, but we didn’t get into a lot of detail about the ‘how’. I truly think practicing self-kindness is an art. It requires a person to[…..]
GRIEF: Fourteen years after my mother’s death, I find I’m not only grieving her but also my memory of her. I mean that literally, as in, I’m grieving the loss of actual memories as I struggle to really remember her in any tangible way. I want to feel her presence and see her clearly in my mind,[…..]
GRIEF: I worry because I have a low tolerance for not knowing everything will be okay. It’s as simple as that. I am uneasy about a margin of error – an unlikely event – the single-digit percentage of times things go wrong. Not in all situations, but in many, and particularly those that involve life[…..]
When I was about 11 years old I started writing in a journal. I was a grieving child. My mom’s brother, uncle Doug, died by suicide when I was just 7, and as I grew older some pretty big questions emerged. My family didn’t talk about it much, as you can imagine, so my journal became my confidant. It was a[…..]
It’s not possible to avoid grief. You need to work through it when you’ve lost someone in your life. While many people feel grieving is a negative experience, it can be a gift. It’s an opportunity to reflect, remember, and heal. While everyone will grieve in their own way, most people can learn to cope[…..]
Grief is often compared to seasons. Generally, when grief is brought up- it is usually shown as winter. However, the transitioning of seasons to someone who has experienced a death loss can be even more startling. The end of spring going into the beginning of summer is well known as a time of celebration and[…..]
Loss is a common theme in our lives today. The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 separated us from friends and family, and for many, relocated us into isolation and quarantine. We grieve changes to our schedule, daily routines, and collegial connections. We were forced into virtual education and graduations. We were forced to find ways to[…..]
Loss is a fact of life, and so are the reactions that follow, but the grief that accompanies significant loss is frequently misunderstood. Here are some of the more commonly held myths and misconceptions about grief, along with the facts to dispel them: MISCONCEPTION #1 “The Five Stages of Grief™️ are linear and must happen[…..]
Summary During the global pandemic, a palpable sense of collective grief has emerged. Grief expert David Kessler says that grief is actually multiple feelings that we must manage. In an interview, he explains how the classic five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, sadness, acceptance) apply today, and the practical steps we can take to[…..]