Grieving is hard. Grieving while also living with the impact of a global health crisis is even harder. During this time of required isolation, many grievers are separated from their usual forms of emotional support. During this uncertain time, people who are grieving may experience a resurgence of intense grief. Higher levels of anxiety, the resurgence or introduction of depression, low levels of energy, and a sharp increase in the missing of their person are common as grievers navigate the current challenges. Please see "Grievers' Tips for Self-Care through Covid-19" from Soaring Sprits International: https://soaringspirits.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SSI-COVID-19-Tips.pdf

“Grief never ends…
But it changes.

It’s a passage,
not a place to stay.

Grief is not a sign of weakness,
nor a lack of faith…

It is the price of love.”

Cry whenever you need to.
Scream.
Shout.
Lay on the floor.
Sob in shower.
Be still. Run.
Walk. Create.
Live your truth.
Share without fear.
Listen.
Release your pain.
Breathe.
Be courageous.
Throw away the map.
Wander. Be real.
Be compassionate.
Read. Seek Friendship.
Be vulnerable.
Don't fear being broken.

A New Year, a New decade. Make the most of your horizons ahead by being open to possibilities. Say "Yes" to opportunity more than "no." Nurture wanderlust, embracing travel and its transformative magic. See how far 2020 can take you. Or, rather, decide how far you WILL take 2020 and beyond. "Make New Year's goals. Dig within, and discover what you would like to have happen in your life this year... It is an affirmation that you're interested in fully living life in the year to come. Goals give us direction.

​Remind yourself every Day:
"I am in charge of my happiness. I will not let anything outsideof myself control me. I am creating a life that feels good on the inside and it will turn into experiences that are good on the outside."

Before your head hits the pillow tonight, remind yourself of the things you did right. Let go of the things you could have done better. Be patient with yourself, and remember that big things are achieved not all at once, but rather one day at a time.

“Some things cannot be fixed; they can only be carried. Grief like yours, love like yours, can only be carried.

Survival in grief, even eventually building a new life alongside grief, comes with the willingness to bear witness, both to yourself and to the others who find themselves inside this life they didn’t see coming. Together, we create real hope for ourselves, and for one another. We need each other to survive...” 
— Megan Devine
   It's OK That You're Not OK

🍀​​Irish Proverb ~ There are good ships, and there are wood ships, the ships that sail the sea. But the best ships are friendships, and may they always be. May your day be touched with a bit of Irish luck, Brightened by a song in your heart, And warmed by smiles from the people you love. 

I had my own notion of grief. I thought it was the sad time that followed the death of someone you love. And you had to push through it to get to the other side. But I'm learning there is no other side. There is no pushing through. But rather, there is absorption. Adjustment. Acceptance. And grief is not something you complete, But rather, you endure. Grief is not a task to finish and move on, But an element of yourself. An alteration of your being. A new way of seeing a new definition of self.
~Gwen Flowers

Never allow yourself to feel guilty for missing someone.
It's just your heart reminding you how much you love them.💗

​Be Present.
Let the day flow with grace.
Expect nothing. Give thanks.
Surrender. Be open.
Speak only kindness.
Impart only love.
Never forget you're not alone.
Give so you may receive.
See goodness in others.

It's not easy, some of our most valued and fulfilling experiences are often colored with a tinge of pain. Good days and bad days will be quite normal for you to see-saw up and down between feelings of coping and despair. As time goes on you will experience more peaks and fewer troughs and the troughs will become progressively shallower.

Part of coping with grief is learning to tolerate and work through painful emotions; it's normal to to feel feel frustration and depression – but please believe it is worth it EVERY DAY to take a deep breath, and START AGAIN.

If you’ve cut out activities that used to be an important part of your life,  it may be time to try scheduling them back in. Some of these activities may no longer feel pleasurable, if they remind you of your loved one, they require effort, or force you to confront difficult emotions.... you should consider scheduling them in anyway.