Stregrief

I've decided that the world needs a new word right now. Some people are calling what they are feeling "stress" and others are identifying with the word "grief"... I'm calling this out. Right now, I think our collective society is experiencing stregrief.

Articles I have read on grief and those that focus on stress are effectively saying the same thing... and I think that the ways it hits each individual is distinct to each of us. But some of the coping mechanisms may be the same for all of us: do what is right for you (be honest with yourself), don't judge how others are making it through, and don't judge yourself.

https://www.self.com/story/coronavirus-stress

However, this stregrief is manifesting for you, I wish for you some levity, rest, and moments of nonCOVID-19 related news this weekend. Stay well.

Oddities

Is it weird that a worldwide pandemic is what it takes for people to take grief seriously?

The Harvard Business Review interviewed David Kessler for this piece: https://hbr.org/2020/03/that-discomfort-youre-feeling-is-grief?fbclid=IwAR3Te0xaFJX-x5HRZm17k0DDQa5N-oJoC61rtn4mlOMtlaUyleb5WAJrhv0

Listen, I am grateful that people are finally coming around acknowledging the real effects grief can have in the workplace... but can't seem to get over the bizarro nature that this topic took literally  thousands of deaths for people to be ok with speaking about it!

Let's get real - grief sucks.

Kübler-Ross and COVID

Well, blogging took a backseat as COVID-19 became a North American reality... and boy oh boy, what a reality.

In this strange new world, every professional I know is encountering strange new worlds. This is simply uncharted territory - we don't know how long this 'new normal' will be ours. And similar to dealing with grief from a death, the grief that now surrounds us requires patience and clear communication.

Here is a really interesting article that a colleague just sent through our team Slack:

https://www.prdaily.com/how-to-identify-the-stages-of-grief-in-covid-19-messages/

Paraphrasing Brené Brown here: being clear is being kind. Focus on that today in your professional communications - we all need a little more kindness in our world right now.

Practice social distancing without human distancing, friends.
Wishing you good health and high spirits!

Quick and easy

The past month has been a whirlwind with travel, work priorities, and illnesses at home. While I haven't taken time to blog I have continued to comb through, read, and retweet interesting death-related content on Twitter. Two recent posts have led me back here... Two specific tweets to be exact. 

One I will leave for a subsequent post, but the other is a relatively simple way of saying that all we need to do in the face of grief is BE THERE. That's it. Quick and easy. Whether it is in the course of our personal or professional lives, that's all that it will take to make a difference. 

Acknowledge. Be present. 

The exact words of the tweet? 

"When someone dies, be the person in everyone's life who's not afraid to talk about it."

See @YerGoing2Die for this and similar other gems.