Death and Grief During a Pandemic

Karyn and Aidan – The what if game and guilt

Karyn and Aidan explain how they have dealt with guilt

Kate – COVID and grieving with my parents

Kate shares about how COVID was stress on top of dealing with the loss of her brother

Maureen – “Grief doesn’t stop, even when the outside world is in crisis”

Maureen gives suggestions about how you can help people in grief

Andrea – Dealing with personal belongings

Andrea discusses dealing with her late husbands personal belongings and the need to purgees

Lynda – “Helping a griever during the pandemic”

Lynda shares tips on helping someone in grief

Kim – Self care

Kim talks about looking after yourself and how much it helps. In particular be kind to yourself

Christian – Grieving spaces

Christian talks grieving spaces and people coming together when grieving

Jean – Be good to yourself

Jean shares about support and not being hard on yourself

Sunny- Grief and Maintaining Health

Christian – Grieving the whole person

Christian talks about how we choose remember people when there has been a loss to drug poisoning

Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Other Special Days

When we are grieving, some days are more difficult than others. Grief comes in waves like the sea and can feel like an intertwining labyrinth of emotions. Birthdays, anniversaries, and special dates that are associated with our loved one who has died can contribute to more emotionally intense days which can be worsened through the anticipation and “what ifs” of the upcoming day. These difficult days can leave us feeling defeated and it can almost feel like we’ve taken two steps backward in our grieving process, but grief does not have a timeline, and these feelings of setbacks are opportunities for healing.

Weathering the Intense Emotions of Grief

Grief often comes with powerful, unpredictable emotional shifts that can be painful to experience. While it’s important to find ways to sit with these feelings, to acknowledge the pain of grief and accept loss, it’s also necessary to find ways to ease and manage the pain. There are several simple activities that you can explore to help.