It feels surreal that just last year we had our world turned upside down. It has felt like a long road for many of adjustments, loss, feelings of grief, and for some life altering changes. These changes have led many people to upend their life to try to find meaning and pleasure. It seems that what was once important was suddenly inconsequential. It is not uncommon during these times of great shifts to feel waives of grief and for some feelings of being lost. According to Elisabeth Kubler-Ross (2007) there are five stages of grief that people often experience after a loss which are denial (It won’t happen to me), anger(why is this happening to me), bargaining (if I just go out this one time without getting this disease), depression, and acceptance. We have all endured this great traumatic event collectively of loss of family members, friends, or even of the freedom to move about in the world unencumbered. Traumatic events like the pandemic can cause a sudden bought of emotion or memory flashes of what you’ve endured that bring on feelings of sadness. It’s important to know that all of these feelings are normal given the circumstances. Validate what you have been through and acknowledge that there was no one perfect way to handle the pandemic. Try to remember to be gentle and have patience with yourself as you reenter life. It is normal to feel anxiety during this transition but don’t let it paralyze you. Reach out for help if you need support with this transition.
PANDEMIC GRIEF
