Loss happens to everyone.  At one point or another in life, we will all experience the ending of something important to us.  This can be an incredibly painful time and it’s important to feel supported.

Stages of grief include:

Denial

Anger

Bargaining 

Depression 

Acceptance

While these are common stages of grief, grief can look different for each person.  There is no set timeline or order that these stages are meant to be experienced.  Because grief looks so different from one person to the next, it’s important to not judge your grieving process. Someone appearing more distraught on the outside does not necessarily mean that they are more in pain than someone who is coping with grief differently, perhaps more inwardly.  

There is no easy or straight-forward way to heal from grief.  We all need to feel and process it in our own time and our own way.  Some things I have found to be helpful are:

Meaning

What did the person’s life mean to you?  How did they contribute to your life or to the world?  Maybe what you are grieving is the end of a relationship… How did the relationship change your life?  What would you like to take with you from that relationship?  Questions like these and more can help you transition to a phase of life where the person or relationship is no longer present.  

Find ways to connect with your loved one

Just because the person or relationship may not physically be there anymore doesn’t mean they stop existing in our hearts.  Finding ways to connect with the love you feel for the person who is no longer present can help you feel closer to them.