Give Yourself Permission to Grieve

Amidst the upheaval that the COVID-19 pandemic is causing, we may be feeling some measure of grief even if we’re not aware that we’re grieving. For instance, perhaps we’re unconsciously grieving the loss of income, or the loss of our plans for the near- to medium-term future. Often we’re not cognizant of this reality because grief can present as frustration, anger, sadness or even lethargy. On the whole, our society doesn’t give us permission to process our grief unless it involves the loss of a loved one and even that form of grieving has a timeline imposed on it. When we experience other kinds of losses we’re supposed to continuously move forward without pausing to allow ourselves to grieve. However, we should give ourselves permission to grieve the dissolution of all aspects of our lives whenever time and circumstances dissolve them. Thankfully, recognizing that we might be feeling grief can help us understand our present inability to feel grounded. Knowing that grieving might entail sadness, anger, dread, or even fatigue can give us permission to feel whatever it is we’re feeling in each moment. Having this awareness can allow us to be more compassionate with ourselves. It can also enable us to more readily process our emotions. In this way, we’ll be able to be more present to whatever it is that life has in store for us.