Podcast: Understanding Your COVID-Related Sense of Loss & Grief
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’ Five Stages of Grief provides a helpful framework for understanding our COVID-19-induced emotional roller-coaster.
You’ve probably experienced the shock and denial – you just couldn’t believe this unexpected, tragic thing was happening. Then feelings of guilt or sadness about your inability to prevent this undesirable event, followed by anger, blame, frustration, bargaining as you tried to make circumstances better conform to your preferences.
As you came to terms with the weight of the changes and losses, you may have felt depressed, lonely, isolated. Then, over time, a sense of acceptance emerged and you began to feel more hopeful and optimistic about your now and the future.
Today, COVID-19-generated grief is a shared experience. We support ourselves by acknowledging our experience of loss and grief, and allowing space for others – colleagues and loved ones – to do the same.