As we continue to grieve, remember this
We are still in this world of a global pandemic. Many of us are reaching stages of emotions that are feeling overwhelming, unfamiliar, or just “too normal.” Our personal lives don’t look the same. Our world lives don’t look the same.
Many of us have struggled with illness or have lost loved ones. We know people who have lost jobs, we know people who have lost businesses, and we know people who are still on the “front lines.” This epidemic is way past personal. The economic impact is also weighing heavily on our hearts.
The uncertainty of it all can be too much to process. We are all in mourning. Mourning a life we may never see again.
According to grief specialist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, there are five stages of mourning: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. We can cycle through these stages in any order -- and more than once as we process the emotional trauma of loss.
Left unrecognized and unattended, grief can negatively impact our mind, body, and emotional wellbeing. We start to feel ungrounded, out-of-control, and loss of hope.
Here are 3 ways to honor your grief, so you can remember how strong you are. We, humans, we are resilient.
1. Talk about what you are feeling. Share your feelings. Identify what feels “off.” Whether you write this in your journal or phone a friend - the key here is to get it out of your mind and into the world around you. We need to release our fears, doubts, pain, anger, in a healthy way.
2. Bring joy. Be mindful of creating more joy in your life. Make joy a feeling you cultivate intentionally. With tea time, a dance party with a friend, laughing with your kids for no reason. Whatever it is, make joy as important to your life as breathing. Smile more. That alone will change how you feel.
3. Be gentle with yourself. Allow yourself compassion. Take care of yourself with self-care, and know that you are allowed to feel however you feel. There is no one “right” way to navigate change.
“What we have once enjoyed deeply we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.”