Living with Grief and Loss

Things to know about Grief & Loss:

• Remember that it is important to accept whatever feelings you or others are having during the grieving process. There is no "right" way to grieve and comparisons to others can create judgment that impedes the process. External expressions such as crying are not representative of the level of grief someone is feeling.

• It is also important to know that grief comes in waves and feels largely unpredictable at times. That being said, make intentional space for grief, but try doing it in ways that feel cathartic, such as journaling about your feelings or writing letters to the loss, whether it be a person or situation. And remember that feelings are meant to be embraced, not judged, and even in grief, you honor the person, relationship, or the situation that is now lost.

• Adjusting to the effects of grief after loss often gets ignored by the enormity of tasks that surround our busy lives. It seems like grief asks a lot from us, so advocating for ourselves becomes paramount. Take time off, ask for help, sleep, be fragile, don’t try to hold it together, and try not to feel guilty for allowing others to help.

• Keep in mind that grief is a lifelong process – it never goes away. It does however, change in frequency and duration. There is no "timeline" we should follow and the stages of grief seem to be more of a fluid, moment to moment process. Grief tests our coping skills and often takes us to continue developing.