Managing Grief & Loss
Welcome to week 2 of the Winter Wellness Challenge.
Warning: this may be a challenging topic, please engage in the following information safely, allowing for the necessary time and space needed to appropriately consider how you feel and what you need.
Managing the process of grief and loss is unique and personal. The information provided here is intended for you to consider, learn and ultimately choose your path. Grief is hard, and our instinct may be to avoid it. The sadness, isolation and anger are real, and require us to actively engage. Leaning into the grief process can be scary, and only you know what will be helpful to you. We know that we cannot out-run our grief, however, we can find ways to honor our grief and set the stage for healing.
Grief and the Holidays – with David Kessler (14 min)
David Kessler is one of the world’s foremost experts on grief and loss. His experience with thousands of people on the edge of life and death has taught him the secrets to living a happy and fulfilled life, even after life’s tragedies. David’s personal experiences have led him to this journey.
Challenge:
Grief is a process that calls for us to commit time and energy to process. This can be accomplished through three different domains: thoughts, feelings and actions. In this second challenge we invite you to gently turn towards your grief this week. We ask you to lean into the process of grieving and allow yourself time and space to honor your experience. Please enter this process knowing that it is more of a roller coaster than a straight ride, self-compassion is required.
- Set aside some time in a comfortable place to review the below suggestions, understanding that there is no one way to grieve.
- Identify those things that you have already done to honor your grief (on this list or anything else). Every step in the grief process takes courage, and you should be proud of the steps you have taken so far.
- Lastly, identify an area or an activity that you would like to work on this week. You are strong, and there is hope.
Thoughts– Take time to learn about grief. Watch the video above, read the associated article and/or explore the grief.com website. Talk to an expert, grief counselor, clergy or others who have experience and training and ask questions about the grief process.
Feeling– Take time to label and experience your feelings. Explore the feeling and find words that best describe the feeling. Share and talk and express your feelings with others, professionals, family and friends.
Actions– Take time to do something to honor your grief. Cry if you need to. Hug someone if you need to. Create an individual ritual: bring flowers to the cemetery, meditate on your grief or write a letter to your loved one. Create a group ritual: invite family or friends to share stories about your loved one, hold a candlelight vigil or attend a religious service in honor your loved one.
This is your journey…
Bonus Content:
Watch this webinar, where C&FS EAP has a conversation with a local grief expert Day Cummings.
Grief, Loss and the Holiday: A conversation with Day Cummings (30 min)
In case you missed it:
Winter Wellness Challenge – Week 1 – Prioritizing Self-Care
Reach out:
As always – if you would like to discuss this topic, or any other concern, please reach out to C&FS EAP to speak with one of our staff for assistance. Please call 716-681-4300 or complete the intake form here:
