Our Loss Foundation bereavement support groups and events provide a great opportunity for people to share where they are at with grief.
It is not uncommon for people to feel like they are doing reasonably ok at coping one day, but feel completely bereft and hopeless the next. And that can be a scary feeling. It is part of our human nature to want to be ok, to want to fix ‘this feeling’, and to struggle to just sit with the pain. Sometimes that is exactly what we need to do; we need to feel our emotion and express it.
🌱 Grow with our courses
Explore our courses – including Mental Health: Supporting Ourselves and the Grief Journey Workbook – on our dedicated Grief & Mental Health Training page.
An outlet is vital during bereavement. Having a space to talk, to cry, to think, to be angry, to question, etc. is of paramount importance to our health. If we do not have an outlet the emotion builds up inside of us and can come out in ways we do not want it to, such as losing our temper, becoming more irritable, or just generally not acting in a way that is important to us.
For some, talking is not what they want to do and that is ok. An outlet does not have to be talking. Writing can be a powerful outlet of emotion, and one that we recommend trying if you find talking difficult.
Sharing with strangers is in some ways easier than sharing with people we know. Strangers do not know you and therefore just listen to what you say without putting it into the context of ‘you’ or your life. There can also be less judgement from strangers, or maybe it’s that it matters less if they do judge you.
Some thoughts and feelings are too hard to put into words. Nevertheless, try to find a healthy outlet for yourself.
In the meantime, we will always be here as an outlet for those who need it.
Be kind to yourselves.
Warm wishes,
Erin
🧠 Understand the ‘Stages’ of Grief
The idea of “stages” is one of the most widely recognised ways people make sense of grief – but it’s often misunderstood.
Our Stages of Grief page explains where the model came from, what the stages really mean, and how they can help (without implying grief follows a neat, linear path).
Explore the page to learn:
📘 What the Five Stages really are (and aren’t)
🧭 Why grief doesn’t follow a straight line
🌊 How emotions can come in waves
🧩 How different grief models may help you
