National Grief Awareness Week: How to Find Support During a Difficult Time
Grief and loss are universal experiences, touching us all at different moments in our lives. Yet these inevitable elements of the human condition are often met with silence, resulting in feelings of isolation and misunderstanding. During National Grief Awareness Week, we aim to highlight the importance of discussing and understanding grief, both in our personal lives and in the workplace. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into various aspects of grief, providing valuable insights to help individuals and workplaces navigate through these challenging periods with resilience and empathy. We will cover the common stages of grief, different types of grief experiences, strategies for self-care and coping at work, when to seek professional help, and more. We strive to foster a culture that acknowledges grief, supports those experiencing loss, and ultimately enhances the overall wellbeing of the workplace.
What is Grief Awareness Week?
National Grief Awareness Week 2023 runs from 2 to 8 December in 2023. It is an annual event held to raise understanding around grief, provide education, and help people who are grieving feel less alone in their journey. The aim of Grief Awareness Week is to bring greater understanding of the grieving process, so anyone working through personal loss or supporting others through difficult transitions can feel heard, acknowledged, and empowered.
Grief is a natural response to loss that can affect all aspects of your life. It may involve a range of emotions from deep sadness to anger, and can disrupt your sleep, appetite, energy levels, ability to concentrate, and more. While an extremely challenging experience, grief is a normal and expected part of coping with the loss of a loved one, job, pet, move across country or any other significant life change.
The core goals of National Grief Awareness Week are to:
- Normalise talking about grief and bereavement
- Provide opportunities for hope and healing
- Educate communities about the impact of grief
- Connect individuals who are grieving with resources
National Grief Awareness Week: What are the 5 Stages of Grief?
Grief is a natural reaction to loss that involves going through different emotional stages. According to the Kübler-Ross model, there are 5 common stages of grief:
Denial
Denial is usually the first reaction to loss. During this stage, individuals deny the reality of the loss. They may feel shock and numbness, and behave as if the loss hasn’t happened. Denial protects them from experiencing the intensity of the pain all at once.
Anger
As denial fades, the next stage is anger. Reality sets in, and this often manifests as frustration, irritability, and resentment. People may lash out during this stage and question “why me?”. Anger can be directed at different targets like doctors, loved ones, fate, or even the deceased.
Bargaining
Once anger begins to fade, bargaining sets in. People start to negotiate for more time or a second chance, promising things will be different. Guilt is a common feeling during this stage. Individuals may dwell on regrets or think of ways the loss could have been prevented.
Depression
After bargaining, the grieving person is beginning to understand the certainty of the loss. They may feel profound sadness and loneliness. Crying spells, changes in appetite, and trouble sleeping are common. They may isolate themselves from family and friends.
Acceptance
This final stage represents acknowledging and making peace with the loss. There may still be moments of sadness, but the intense pain begins to lift. People start to reengage with life and envision a new future. They accept that life is different now.
It’s important to note people may move back and forth between these stages in a nonlinear fashion. There is no set timeline, and each person grieves differently based on factors like their relationship to the deceased and coping abilities. While common patterns exist, grief is a deeply personal journey.
Grief Awareness Week: Types of Grief
Grief can take many forms depending on the relationship with the deceased, the nature of the death, and other factors. Understanding the different types of grief can help identify the root of painful emotions and lead to more effective coping strategies.
Anticipatory Grief
Anticipatory grief occurs when someone is expecting the death of a loved one. This often happens when a family member has a terminal illness. Knowing that death is imminent can allow for preparation and closure, but it also means grieving the loss before it has occurred. Emotions during anticipatory grief can include depression, extreme sadness, and anxiety. This type of grief can complicate the ability to cope once the death actually happens.
Disenfranchised Grief
Disenfranchised grief refers to grief over a loss that is not socially recognised or openly acknowledged. For example, grieving the death of an ex-spouse, a coworker, or a pet may not be considered as legitimate as grieving the loss of a current spouse or family member. However, the sense of loss is just as real. Disenfranchised grief can lead to deeper feelings of isolation and lack of emotional support.
Complicated Grief
Complicated grief is a severe form of grief that worsens over time instead of gradually getting better. Symptoms include intense sorrow, bitterness, inability to enjoy life, depression, and trouble carrying out normal daily activities for an extended period. Complicated grief may stem from the nature of the relationship or death, lack of social support, concurrent life stressors, or vulnerability to intense emotions in general. If complicated grief lasts for more than 6 months, professional help may be beneficial.
National Grief Awareness Week: Grief vs Depression
Grief and depression can look very similar on the surface, with shared symptoms like sadness, trouble sleeping, changes in appetite, fatigue, and lack of enjoyment in daily activities. However, there are some key differences between the two conditions:
- Timeframe – Grief is a natural response to loss that typically decreases over time, while depression is more persistent and recurrent. The sadness of grief gradually gives way to healing and acceptance, but depressive episodes can last for weeks or longer without treatment.
- Cause – Grief is caused by bereavement or loss, whereas depression often arises for other reasons. Depression may require medical treatment even in the absence of a major loss.
- Self-esteem – People experiencing grief often maintain normal self-esteem. Depression frequently involves distorted, excessively negative thoughts about oneself.
- Daily functioning – The pain of grief may make it hard to focus, but grief usually does not severely impair one’s ability to function. Depression can make it extremely difficult to concentrate, work, or handle daily responsibilities.
- Guilt – Guilt is common with grief, but more often focused on regrets around the loss or lost opportunities. Guilt in depression is pervasive and disproportionate, impairing self-image.
- Hopelessness – Grief involves sadness and longing, but the bereaved can maintain hope and anticipate things improving. Feelings of hopelessness are more characteristic of depression.
- Suicidal thoughts – Thoughts of wanting to join lost loved ones are common with grief. Actual suicidal ideation is more serious and suggests clinical depression.
Getting professional support can help identify whether grief has progressed to clinical depression. Treatments for depression include therapy and medication, allowing one to process grief without being weighed down by prolonged, deep clinical depression.
Self-Care While Grieving
Grieving can be an emotionally and physically exhausting process. That’s why it’s crucial to practice self-care during this difficult time. Self-care helps replenish your mental, emotional and physical energy so that you can better cope with grief. Here are some self-care tips:
Get enough sleep. Grief can cause sleep disruptions, like insomnia. Try to stick to a regular sleep schedule and wind down before bedtime. Limit electronics use before bed, do relaxing activities, and make your bedroom a sleep sanctuary.
Eat healthy, nourishing foods. Stress affects appetite, so you may not feel like eating. But good nutrition provides energy and supports your immune system. Eat a balanced diet with plenty of whole foods. Stay hydrated and limit junk food.
Exercise regularly. Physical activity naturally boosts endorphins to lift your mood. It also relieves stress and promotes better sleep. Start with gentle activities like walking, yoga or swimming. Even a short walk daily can help.
Practice relaxation techniques. Deep breathing, meditation, massage and warm baths activate the body’s relaxation response. This calms the mind and body. Set aside time every day for whatever relaxation methods work for you.
Connect with supportive loved ones. Your social circle can lift you up during this hard time. Spend time with caring friends and family who comfort and reassure you. Let them know how they can best support you.
Avoid risky coping mechanisms. It may be tempting to try and numb your pain, but unhealthy habits like overeating, excess alcohol and drug use only complicate grief. Focus on positive coping strategies instead.
Make time for joy. Laughter and lighthearted moments provide a break from sadness, though you may feel guilty. It’s healthy to enjoy yourself sometimes. Engage in hobbies you like and do pleasant distractions.
Practicing self-compassion and care helps you manage grief in a constructive way. Don’t neglect your wellbeing during this vulnerable time.
When to Seek Professional Help
During National Grief Awareness Week it’s important to emphasise that grief is a natural response to loss, but sometimes it can become complicated or unresolved. Here are some signs that it may be time to seek professional help with your grief:
- Your mood is stuck in depression, anger, or sadness, and does not improve over time.
- Months have passed, but your grief remains intensely painful and debilitating.
- You have trouble accepting the reality of your loss.
- You avoid reminders of your loved one and isolate yourself from others.
- Destructive behaviors like substance abuse or recklessness appear.
- You have thoughts of suicide or dying so you can be with your loved one.
- Your relationships and ability to function at work or home are suffering.
Seeking counselling or talking therapy can help if you are having trouble moving forward from your grief. A mental health professional can:
- Provide a safe space to process and make meaning of your loss.
- Teach coping techniques to work through “stuck” grief.
- Help identify and resolve possible complications like trauma, guilt, or regret.
- Assist you in rebuilding your life after loss.
- Refer you to support groups where you can connect with others experiencing similar grief.
- Provide guidance if grief has triggered a crisis of faith or purpose.
The point is that help is available if your grief feels endless or overwhelming. With professional guidance, you can find a path forward and hope. Seeking support is brave, not weak. Counseling can help restore a sense of meaning and peace after a major loss.
National Grief Awareness Week: Tips for Coping with Grief at Work
When an employee is grieving the loss of a loved one, it can be a very difficult time for them both emotionally and practically. As managers and co-workers, there are some important things we can do to support them during this period.
Grief Awareness Week: Tips for managers
- Allow for flexibility with their work. Understand that their productivity may be impacted in the initial grieving period. Allow them to work flexibly, take time off as needed, temporarily adjust responsibilities etc. Don’t penalise them if they need to take more time away from work.
- Check in regularly. Set up periodic check ins to see how they are coping and if they need any additional support. But don’t force them to talk if they aren’t ready.
- Ease their workload. Consider temporarily reducing their workload or reassigning urgent/high priority tasks if the grieving is impacting their bandwidth. Don’t overburden them during this sensitive time.
- Review bereavement leave policy. Ensure you have a bereavement policy that allows for adequate time off to grieve, attend services etc. Follow policy guidance on how much time can be taken.
- Be understanding. Recognise that grief affects people differently. Be patient and understanding if they are having trouble concentrating, seem disconnected, or need more time away. Don’t make them feel guilty for being in mourning.
Grief Awareness Week: How to Support a Grieving Coworker
- Offer condolences. Take time to extend sympathies and let them know you are thinking of them. But don’t offer platitudes, just listening can be more helpful.
- Check in periodically. Continue to check in periodically over the coming weeks and months. Grief can be a long process, so keep tabs on how they are coping over time.
- Listen without judgement. Provide a listening ear if they need to talk about their loss or remember their loved one. Don’t try to tell them how to feel.
- Offer help. See if there are any practical ways you can help, by covering some of their workload, helping with admin tasks etc. Don’t take over their major responsibilities, just help ease the daily workload.
- Be understanding. Recognise that everyone grieves differently, so be patient and understanding if they behave differently. Don’t take it personally if they seem disconnected.
Making grief support part of your work culture is important. With empathy, flexibility and compassion, we can make the workplace a little easier for grieving colleagues.
Grief Awareness Week: Bereavement Leave
Bereavement leave policies allow employees time off from work to mourn, attend services, and manage affairs after the loss of a close family member. This time may be paid, allowing the grieving individual to take care of responsibilities without losing income during an already difficult time.
Many companies have bereavement leave policies, either as part of their general paid time off programs or as a separate category of leave. Policies vary in the amount of leave provided. Some companies may specify a set number of days, whilst others will make their decision on a case-by-case basis. Some key aspects of bereavement leave may include:
- Covered Relationships: Bereavement leave usually covers immediate family (spouse/partner, parents, siblings, children) and in some policies extended family (grandparents, in-laws, aunts/uncles). The company’s policy will specify which relations qualify.
- Paid vs Unpaid
- Verification: The company may request verification of the death, such as an obituary or death certificate.
- Flexibility: Some companies allow flexibility in when the leave is taken, such as time off for estate planning after the services.
Bereavement leave acknowledges the need for employees to grieve without jeopardising their job or income. This time protects both the employee and employer, while supporting the employee through loss.
Grief Awareness Week: Conclusion
National Grief Awareness Week serves as an important reminder that grief is a natural response to loss that deserves understanding and support. Though grief can be intensely painful and disruptive, it is possible to move through it in a healthy way with self-compassion, professional help when needed, and support from employers and coworkers.
The key points to remember include:
- Grief comes in many forms and progresses through stages, though not always linearly. Feelings of denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance are all normal parts of the grieving process.
- Types of grief like anticipatory, acute, chronic, exaggerated, prolonged, complicated, collective, and disenfranchised grief all deserve equal compassion and care.
- While grief and depression share some symptoms, they are distinct conditions. Grief is a response to loss that fluctuates but gradually improves over time, while clinical depression is more persistent and may require professional treatment.
- Self-care strategies like allowing time for emotions, journaling, joining a support group, and practicing relaxation techniques can help you grieve in a healthy way. Seek counseling if grief feels unresolvable.
- Coworkers can provide much-needed support by listening without judgement, acknowledging the loss and the griever’s pain, offering practical help, and gently encouraging professional assistance if needed.
- Employers should have bereavement leave policies allowing adequate time off for grieving, and foster a compassionate workplace culture that validates loss.
Grief is a fact of life, but how we respond to it matters. As individuals and organisations, we must strive to understand grief and support those going through the painful but necessary process of saying goodbye.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is intended for general knowledge and educational purposes only. It should not be construed as professional health, legal, or business advice. Readers should always consult with appropriate health professionals, human resource experts, or legal advisors for specific concerns related to mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of publication, Wellbeing In Your Office cannot be held responsible for any subsequent changes, updates, or revisions of the aforementioned content.