Beyond Grief is Healing: Processing Grief & Loss

Handout
Grief is a very natural reaction that most of us have to losing a loved one or even control over
a situation. All of us grieve and cope differently. There is truly no right or wrong way to
grieve.
This handout is aimed to help cope with grief.

Identifying the stage and coping accordingly

It’s important to identify the stage of grief we are in, so as to reflect and use coping strategies
accordingly. A point to note is that grief is not linear and we may often find ourselves
switching between the stages. It’s important to remain patient, empathetic with yourself and
reflective.
Denial Acknowledge and accept based on presenting facts
Anger Concede to the idea that circumstances around us are not in our
control, in other words learning to let go
Bargaining Stay in the present and focus on what you have now. Going back in
time and making changes may not be possible.
Sadness Stay non-judgemental about your emotions, balance negatives with a
positive, find a good support system
Acceptance Keep de-stressing and seek support as often as you can

Learn more about the different tasks of mourning:

https://www.therapistaid.com/worksheets/tasks-of-mourning.pdf

Ground yourself
Grief can often cause one to feel anxious. Especially with anticipatory grief when you are
very unsure about the unknown.
54321 Grounding technique is meant to bring you to the present. Find a comfortable seating
and follow these steps- What are the:
5 things you can see
4 things you can touch
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste

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 Coping with Grief
While there is no right or wrong way to grieve, there are a few things you can do to ease the
process of coping.
Allowing yourself to feel emotions non-judgementally- Processing grief takes time and it
is accompanied by many emotions, that can feel very “alien” or “unwarranted”. It’s important
to let yourself feel the way you feel without trying to suppress these feelings.
Practice self-compassion and self-soothing- Let yourself experience these emotions. When
these emotions get overwhelming remember to ground yourself and focus on the present.
Writing a letter to the person or situation- Write a letter to the person or situation by
talking about how you feel and what you miss about them/situation, how are you coping etc.
Take care of your physical health- Eating a balanced diet, sleeping an adequate amount and
doing light physical activity can help us stay engaged in a routine and have a positive impact
on our emotional health.
Join a support group- Finding a sense of belonging, recognizing that others are going
through the same struggles as you are can be very reassuring.
Seek help from Professional Counsellor- Seeking the support of a professional can be
really helpful in terms of understanding why you are feeling the way you are and how you
can deal with these emotions. These sessions are non-judgemental and empathetic spaces to
facilitate reflection and self-work.

EAP (Employee Assistance Program) is a free, professional and confidential service open to all employees.
Online counselling is available 24/7. To fix appointments for counselling, place your request on the website or
call 1800-258-8121 or 1800-258-8999. To access services, register on www.1to1help.net.

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