Grief
Millions of Americans have suffered serious losses over the last year, including the death of loved ones, which in the era of COVID is a unique burden. Each death leaves behind a number of loved ones and physical distancing along with travel restrictions means that it has been difficult to gather for funeral rites.
It is natural to grieve with its many emotions, moods and complex and lengthy process. Sadness is about fully accepting the loss; grieving is about getting beyond it. We can experience a range of feelings, from shock to anger to fear and sadness. Grief is the way our mind and body react to losing someone or something that is important to us. It is a universal emotion and there is no right or wrong way to experience it.
Grief has been described as having five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance (“On Grief & Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief through the Five Stages of Loss” by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler). Grief is not always obvious, it follows a long varied path and can stay longer than expected. This is a painful and troublesome process but is our body and mind’s way of giving ourselves space and time to understand the impact of the loss on our life, accept the reality of it and build new meaning into our life. It is important to find a “why” to live, find comfort in new ways of connecting with others and taking time to care for ourselves and be hopeful.
Bereavement is the experience of losing a loved one, close friend or family member. Many people consider pets as part of this group and their loss is just as important. Helping bereaved people through this process, while being physically distanced due to COVID, can be difficult. Physical distancing is not emotional distancing and staying connected with loved ones through Zoom, text or phone call is important. While everyone’s reaction to death is deeply personal, there are some common needs and an important one is to find a balance between feeling the acute pain and moving away from it to feel positive emotions.
It is important to grieve what has been lost, to find meaning and hope in how life has changed. Finding hope in new forms of connecting with others and taking time to care for oneself are helpful. We can be hopeful that we can get through this difficult time, gain a greater appreciation for connectedness and be strengthened, more focused on what is truly valuable and meaningful in life.
Check out the following articles for more information on grief during the time of COVID-19:
How Grief is Different during COVID-19, Verywell Health, Julia Metraux, March 9, 2021,
What Grief Feels like during COVID-19, Greater Good, Leif Hass, April 19, 2021,
Coping with Loss and Grief during COVID-19, Cedars-Sinai Blog, Cedars-Sinai Staff, August 21, 2020,
