Grief

We have all experienced grief in our lives:

During childhood, adolescence, young, mid, or older adulthood, or

in the midst of the current pandemic.

Grief is a normal and natural reaction to a loss of any kind.

3 Definitions of Grief:

• Conflicting feelings caused by the end of or change of a familiar pattern (or routine) of behavior.
• Feeling of reaching out to someone who has always been there for you and the person is no longer there (physically or emotionally).
• Can be cumulative and cumulative negative.

How can we, as individuals, support another person who is grieving (or struggling) during these changing, uncertain times?

• Actively listen: Be a “heart with ears.”
• Create a safe place where the person can be heard such as, a grief circle.
• Create a mentor buddy system to check-in with and keep the person accountable.
• If you do not know what to say to a person who is grieving, tell the person you do not know and assure the person you are present with him/her. Be authentic, or real.

Grief is not intellectual. Grief is emotional.

Reference

WELCOA. (2020, May 12). The elephant in the room: Navigating workplace grief with Sara Martin and Ilana Shapiro Yahdav. [webinar]. GoToWebinar. https://www.welcoa.org/covid/#welcoa-videos