Grief

So many people right now are suffering unknown emotions and are not connecting them to grief. Many believe grief is only connected to death. It is not.

Grief can be connected to any type of loss and the emotions and stages can be exactly the same.

Clinically, grief is treated within five stages however that can be different depending on a clients needs and loss.

Right now many have gone on for nearly two years of loss in several ways. It may be connection, touching, work/school to virtual, freedom and more. These losses felt for short periods can have minimal affects on the body and mind however over time and the body living in a constant state of "flight or flight", it can be very damaging. This is what we are seeing now.

• Stage 1 - Denial - initially thinking this will only last for a very short period of time. Then seeing it was not getting better and the timelines kept changing.

• Stage 2 - Anger - frustration with the restrictions and lack of social contact. Anger towards others for not complying, blaming people for things not getting better or blaming officials for acting wrong.

• Stage 3 - Bargaining - You were finding ways to live within a "new normal", eliminating things dear to your heart and soul nourishing. Adding a much deeper void. Some adding steps to assist in getting back to normal faster.

• Stage 4 - Depression - you were not seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. Many terms were now common, such as "curb the wave". Your body is now becoming emotionally exhausted and its hard to plan for the future because you are unsure of what that looks like. You are fearful for your children's future.

• Stage 5 - Acceptance - Some have reached this point however many have not. This causes a clash between both parties which also adds to the emotional drain.

Finding things for self care are very important right now. You need to find things that bring you joy and comfort. Discover ways you can plan for your future, spend time in solitude to balance the mind and exercise self care daily. Reconnecting with those you love is very important. Hugging and touching also very important.

Having lost so much, has indeed created a grief mindset for so many people however you can use tools to get your own internal power back.

Many have never seen anything like this and learning to deal with it, manage self care and also be caregivers has been exhausting.

One great step is to start journaling your feelings. Get those words out of your head. By doing so, you will release so much.