Most of us don’t spend much time thinking about loss until it arrives on our doorstep. Grief is one of the most universal experiences we have, and yet it’s still one we rarely feel ready for. We’re left reeling, unsure how to grieve, and often wondering whether or not what…

As a divorced mom of two boys, I’ve realized how common it is to feel lonely even when you’re rarely (if ever) alone. Like that time I got the stomach flu right before bedtime. I held a trash can in one arm while feeding my baby a bottle in the…

When Sarah, a 40-year-old marketing professional, was 14 years old, her father suffered a massive heart attack and died suddenly. In the immediate aftermath, she and her four siblings all handled the loss differently—her middle sister, in particular, was rocked by it. For Sarah, though, she couldn’t help but feel…

You did it. You initiated the divorce. And somehow you feel worse than you expected—hollow, maybe heartbroken, maybe both. That’s not a sign you made the wrong call. It’s a sign you’re human. Grief doesn’t require surprise. Just because you saw this coming—wanted it even—doesn’t mean you get to skip…

First, let me put your mind at ease: Feeling sad when a celebrity dies is completely normal. You’re not weird for crying when an actor, athlete, or musician you’ve never met passes away. Look at the collective grief over Catherine O’Hara, Robin Williams, Kobe Bryant, or Betty White. The sadness…

Loss doesn’t announce itself gently. One moment, someone or something is woven into the fabric of your daily life. The next, they’re gone, and you’re left holding the weight of that absence. Whether you’re grappling with the death of a loved one, the end of a significant relationship, or another…

If you’re reading this, you might be wondering if your grief feels “too intense” or has lasted “too long.” First, know this: you’re not broken, and you’re not alone. While grief is one of life’s most universal experiences, sometimes it gets stuck, and that’s when complicated grief (now clinically known…

Grief is never easy. But what if you started feeling its weight before a loss even happens? This is the reality for many people who experience anticipatory grief: a wave of sadness and anxiety that arrives in advance of a major loss, often when a loved one is seriously ill…

Grief is a universal experience — we all feel some type of grief during our lives, whether it’s through the loss of a loved one, job loss, pet loss, divorce, loss of a friendship, or the loss of another emotional connection. Losing something or someone you love is something no…

In 1969, Swiss-American Psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross theorized that there are five universal stages of grief: denial and seclusion, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. These stages have since become a widely recognized framework for understanding how people process heartbreaking loss.  However, grief is an incredibly personal experience and these stages don’t…

Grief is a normal human response to the pain of losing someone. It can be brutal, anguished, disorienting, maddening, enraging, and lonely.  But ultimately, most people will emerge from grief. They may feel forever changed; however, many find meaning in their lives again. Those difficult feelings eventually make way for…

While there are five primary stages of grief — denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance — they aren’t linear, and our grief processes are highly personal. Some people aren’t flooded with emotions after a major loss. At least, not at first. Instead, they feel nothing. Read on for more information…