Unpacking Grief

The ebbs and flows of grief can be like a long, windy road with no end.

The non-linear cycle of grief often follows no rhyme or reason and shows up when we least expect it.

Living with deep sorrow and pain of the loss of a loved one, a relationship, or a time in your life can often feel like a period of emptiness to no end. It can feel like you are descending into a black hole, a complex web of emotions that cycle through you in moments of calm and intensity, happy and sorry, significance and irrelevance.

Surrendering to your unique grief process is essential to healing. Because grief is both collective and individual, learning to be soft with yourself is key to remaining flexible and allowing grief to do its thing and cycle through you. Attempting to control or manage the grief process will lead to angst, confusion, fatigue, and chronic overwhelm. Leaning into the utter chaos of grief may feel counterintuitive, but it may relieve pressure and tension that will let the grief cycle flow.

Surrendering the rawness of emotions can feel scary but is cathartic. Leaning into the confusion and chaos may seem daunting, but it relieves pressure. Finding support and connection with others may help ease the loneliness and sorrow. Rooting oneself in self-care practices may seem daunting, but they are essential in nourishing yourself during a time of emotional depletion that will help you stay the course. Staying connected to your spiritual compass will help you with questions of uncertainty that seem to have no answers.

Grief is fundamentally a humane experience.  It connects you to life and death cycles and helps you confront existentialism issues to help you grow and develop your sense of self and life. The energy of renewal is available to usher a process like grief forward. Let yourself cycle through the most uncomfortable rollercoaster of the emotionally exhausting parts of this. Don’t be afraid to be messy, clumsy, and emotionally curious. Grief is an influential teacher; if you allow yourself to tap in, you will find something unexpected and miraculous at the end of its path.