I have written a series of 12 articles entitled “Life in Challenging Times” talking about Grief, Emotions and Coping Strategies for people struggling with the loss of a loved one especially in the difficult circumstances during the current pandemic. While the death of anyone we care about is one of the most difficult experiences in life, for many, their sense of loss has been heightened by rules, restrictions and regulations connected to COVID 19, whether the death was directly or indirectly related to the pandemic. Some did not have a chance to say goodbye to a loved one in hospital or nursing home, nor to be able to have a choice in the kind of funeral or “celebration of life” they felt would have been a more meaningful or appropriate tribute to this special person in their lives.
In these 12 articles I talk about understanding the grief we experience when our lives are touched by loss; then we talk about Coping with the Many Emotions of Grief in challenging times of loss, and understanding “the reasons behind the reactions”; and our final 2 articles give some practical suggestions about reorganizing our lives.
I hope this Grief Support Tool Kit that will give you some tools to assist you as you make your way through this difficult stretch of your Grief Journey.
When Life Changes
When Life Changes This aggressive pandemic we are experiencing threatens the entire world with the loss of so many things we care about and that
Four Basic Needs in Times of Crisis
Four Basic Needs in Times of Crisis “CHAOS!” That’s how my 98-year-old friend Don, currently in quarantine in his Care Home, immediately responded when asked
Coping When Life is Turned Upside Down
Coping When Life is Turned Upside Down In this blog series entitled Life in Challenging Times, we have sought to understand grief and the losses
Working through our Feelings
Working Through Our Feelings We have identified many of the emotions that impact us as a result of the losses that we experience. I hope
Dealing with Anger and other Emotions
Dealing with Anger and Emotions As we affirmed in our last blog, I believe that anger, guilt and blame share a similar root in our
Guilt and Blame
Guilt and Blame Some of the most common but troublesome components of the grief process are guilt, anger and blame. While we will deal with
Facts Versus Feelings
Facts vs Feelings In our modern culture, we tend to handle facts better than feelings. Confronted by any crisis or tragedy, people try to cope
Emotions in Challenging Times
Emotions in Challenging Times I am not sure if there are more tragedies in our world, or if we are just being made more aware
Helpful Suggestions for Coping with Grief
Helpful Suggestions for Coping with Grief 1) Be Patient with Yourself: Why do we grieve? The grief process gives us time to heal. Coming to
Understanding WHAT we are Losing in this Pandemic
Understanding WHAT we are Losing in this Pandemic When someone experiences any significant life loss, whether sudden, tragic or anticipated, that event often triggers many
Understanding Grief
Understanding Grief Every time we experience a loss, we grieve what is missing from our lives as a result. Death, as we have said, is
Responding to Stressful Events
Responding to Stressful Events Here are a few suggestions and strategies to help you implement all these principles: Focus on what you CAN do rather