Feeling stuck? You could be grieving… and not even know it.
Grief is one of the most heartbreaking parts of being human, and it’s completely unavoidable. It’s uncomfortable. It can feel unpredictable, all-consuming, and overpowering.
But grief doesn’t always look the way we expect it to.
It’s not just something we experience when someone dies.
Grief Shows Up in So Many Parts of Life
We grieve when we lose a loved one.
We grieve after a breakup or divorce, or when facing a serious illness.
We grieve after a miscarriage, when we lose a job, or when we become estranged from family.
We grieve in the wake of national or global tragedies.
We grieve when our lives shift so drastically that we barely recognize ourselves or our circumstances.
And sometimes, we grieve things that are harder to name:
The loss of a version of ourselves
Moving or leaving a safe space
The quiet ending of a friendship
Leaving a community, religion, or belief system
Watching time pass and aging
Bearing witness to injustice and collective pain
These quieter losses don’t always get acknowledged, but that doesn’t make them any less real or painful.
The Pressure to “Move On” Can Make It Worse
When these changes happen, we’re often met with messages like:
“Get over it.”
“Just be grateful.”
“Make the best of the situation.”
Because these losses aren’t seen as “serious” or “valid,” we’re often told—directly or indirectly—to skip the grieving part. To fix the problem and move forward.
But this pressure to quickly “bounce back” is where many people get stuck.
When we bypass the hard parts—the sadness, the anger, the confusion—we end up ignoring parts of ourselves that are crying out for care and compassion.
How to Honor Your Grief
You don’t need to justify your grief to anyone. It’s real. It’s worthy of space.
Here are a few gentle ways to support yourself through it:
Acknowledge the loss. Life transitions are hard. Period. And within those shifts, there are so many emotions that deserve attention.
Name your feelings. Try saying: “I feel heartbroken.” “I feel lost.” “This is painful.” Giving your emotions language can help bring clarity and connection.
Give yourself time. Even when the change is “positive,” there’s often grief underneath. There’s no set timeline. You don’t have to rush forward.
Care for your body. Take deep breaths. Move gently. Rest. Nourish yourself. Sit in the sun. Take a hot shower. Grief lives in the body, too.
Show yourself compassion. You don’t need to be “productive” with your healing. You’re doing enough just by being with what’s true.
You’re Allowed to Grieve What Others Don’t See
You don’t have to minimize your pain just because it doesn’t fit someone else’s definition of “grief.”
You don’t need permission to feel what you feel.
Grief isn’t something to get over.
It’s something we learn to carry—with care, with tenderness, and in time.
If you're grieving something no one talks about—know that you're not alone.
