Join me in conversation with Speak On host Yolanda Copes-Stepney on Wednesday, October 21st at 7pm BST (11am PST). Find more information and the sign up at this link. Check out the complete list of Speak On’s mental health awareness events at speakonevents.eventbrite.com. Wishing for some company inside your grief? Now, as always, the very…
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Don’t Grieve Alone. Reach Out.
This New York Times article mentions something I talk about often: the emotional time share. At a time when most people are stressed and many are grieving, it can be hard to be there for each other. Naming that struggle – and creating systems of mutual support – can really help. “With grief on this…
What Chrissy Teigen’s Public Grief Shaming Says About Our Culture—And How Far We Have To Go
In our own little world here – where we acknowledge and respect all grief – it can be easy to think the work is done. People know that grief is normal and healthy; that just because it’s painful doesn’t mean it’s “wrong.” But all it takes is one quick glance at the way Chrissy Teigen…
Grief Impacts Attention Span
Shortened attention spans are very common in early grief. Remember, define early for yourself. Grief rearranges your mind. It takes awake skill sets you’ve had since childhood. It makes even the simplest things hard to follow. It makes once-familiar things feel arbitrary or confusing. It might feel like you’re broken (you are not broken), but…
Do you accidentally grief-shame? Here’s how to help better.
Think about the things that we say to somebody when we hear that they’re having a hard time. We tell them to be strong. We tell them, “lean on your happy memories.” We tell them, “they wouldn’t want you to be sad.” All of those things carry a connotation of stop feeling the way that…
Grief, Wildfires, and the Power of Acknowledgement
West Coast folks – whew. Everything is a LOT right now. When you’ve already lived through things people say are “unlikely to happen,” it’s *really* hard to remain calm when things go sideways in the world around you. From fires to the pandemic to the – everything, finding even the tiniest corner of calm and…
How do you help a grieving friend?
When we talk about the skills needed to support a grieving friend, we’re not just talking about grief related to death. These are the kinds of skills we need for all of life’s hardships, from small everyday losses to life altering ones. It’s so tempting to tell someone to look on the bright side, or…
Grief Impacts Short-term Memory
Grief impacts short-term memory. This is another super common, yet seldom discussed physical side effect of grief. There’s a clumsy forgetfulness, or absentmindedness, that often comes with grief. No matter how your short-term memory worked before your loss, it has likely changed in your grief. Forgetting names, misplacing things, missing appointments, not being able to…