Navigating grief as a process of loss with stages

While it may be a natural part of life, grief can be the part of life that offers the most pain, regret and sense of loss that one may encounter.

Grief is the internal process of loss: the feelings, thoughts and experiences that accompany the end of a relationship due to break-up, death or departure.

We often hear about the stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

These stages are not linear and there is no endpoint; we may continue to have these feelings as our lives move forward and we grapple with reminders of the lost relationship.

Not only do we all experience grief differently, but we also find ways to manage it differently depending on the circumstances of the loss.

When you are experiencing grief, it may feel impossible to continue with life as it was.

You will not only feel sad; you will likely notice low energy, difficulty concentrating, an empty feeling, low motivation, feeling slowed down, a sense of purposelessness and other aspects that may make daily life less enjoyable.

You also might feel that these occurrences change quickly—you feel happy and in the moment only to suddenly experience a shift to feeling withdrawn and sad, reminiscing about the time before the loss. This is a normal part of the journey.

While painful and unstable, we are prepared to travel this journey naturally provided we allow ourselves the time and patience to readjust to a new normal.

The reality is, life will not and likely cannot continue as it was.

One of the ways we do this is to find or create a way to say good-bye.

In the case of a death, many families, cultures or religions have practices that are common for us in which to engage.

But we must also keep in mind that our grief often outlasts that ritual.

We will encounter anniversaries, reminders, holidays and other life moments that remind us of the loss.

We need to develop a strategy to soothe the pain we encounter and continue to adapt to life after loss.

You will need to lean on those around you to provide comfort, distraction, celebration or space for you to continue to practice this adaptation.

Recently, a new stage was defined in the grief journey called “making meaning.”

In this stage, we take forward with us what we can learn, embrace and cherish following the loss.

It focuses on how we can enhance our life in the acceptance of the loss and the new world in which we live.

How might you look at the loss from a new perspective that may highlight strength you might have gained, values you might have clarified or how you can repurpose your life ahead with the wisdom you might have gained from your loss, no matter how painful the loss may have been.

We all encounter loss in our lives. While the world around us spins forward, it may feel hard to keep up with life as we are trudging through the emotional turmoil around grief.

Give yourself the time to get to know your thoughts, feelings and needs, and consider what you need to continue to engage in a meaningful life after loss.

Consider visiting the website grief.com for additional information, guides, and resources to navigate your grief journey.