"Good Grief" - What To Do About It?

Coach Meg
Wellcoaches Corp.

My coaching session with Pat inspired a look at the beliefs and benefits of grief. Soon to embark on a new career, leaving behind fond memories of an organization and people that she loved, Pat is grieving her impending loss.

A Guide
Of course each person has their own experience and expression of grief, but I find ease and comfort in author Prema Kay's simple reminders in Journey to Radiant Health:

1. Be supported
As the saying goes, "Joy shared is multiplied; pain shared is divided." Open up to those in whom you most easily entrust your feelings and allow them support you. Know that grieving is "primal and chaotic; it does not follow rules of etiquette" and it will not always be pretty.

2. Don't figure out why, just know you feel it
Avoid the temptation to think about your feelings, asking why they are there and how you might dismiss them. This invalidates your sadness, and you.

3. When you feel sad, stop and breathe
This is about paying attention. Our lives are often just too busy to notice how we feel, but the feelings are still there. When in a grieving period, it can even be helpful to set aside time each day to intentionally grieve; to stop, be sad and breathe. The beauty is that laughter often follows a release of sadness.

4. Be patient
"Grief is not linear, but is more often experienced in cycles. Grief is sometimes compared to climbing a spiral staircase where things can look and feel like you are just going in circles, yet you are actually making progress," says author Miriam Greenspan. There is no "right" way to grieve and there is no deadline for doing so.

Is Grief Good For You?
What sadness have you not experienced? What healing is left inside of you? What good could a good cry do?

To listen to a recording of this 40 minute coaching session, click here:

Margaret Moore, also known as “Coach Meg,” is CEO and founder of Wellcoaches Corp. in Wellesley, MA