What You Need To Know About Grief: The 5 Stages

It’s hard to process an emotion like grief.  But, giving a name to the emotion is the first step.  Taking a moment to acknowledge and have a name for it is powerful.  This process begins to create space between you and the grief.  Because you are not the grief, rather it’s an emotion you’re feeling and experiencing right now.

So, let’s break it down a little further here today…

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, in her book On Grief & Grieving, outlines 5 stages of grieving.  She makes a very clear distinction that, while these 5 stages exist, you don’t necessarily go through these stages in order.  Also, there’s no set amount of time that each stage will last.  For example, it’s not like you’ll go through the first stage for 2 weeks, then the 2nd stage for the following 2 weeks, and so on.  It’s different for everyone.  And yet, having an awareness of these stages is empowering.  It helps you understand what you’re going through and, thereby, offer yourself compassion through the process.

Here are the 5 stages:

1. Denial
“This can’t be happening…this isn’t happening”

2. Bargaining
“Maybe if I do _____, then things will be different”

3. Anger
Anger towards the situation, another person, or towards self

4. Depression
Feelings of sadness

5. Acceptance
Acknowledging the loss and coming into a new way of being

I’m leading a free workshop this week where you’ll dive deeper into understanding these 5 stages, identify which stage you’re in now, and create a plan to move forward with self-compassion.

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*Can’t make it Live?  RSVP anyways to get the Replay!

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