Every now and then, we get a painful reminder of just how precious life is. How fragile it is. And how quickly it can change or be gone. Only to leave us having to deal with the loss.

Grief is something most of us prefer to brush aside - it feels confronting and difficult, both when we go through it ourselves and when we’re supporting others. But the truth is, we all experience grief at some point. Not just when we lose a loved one. Grief can also be the end of a relationship, the loss of a job, moving away from a place you love, or even the fading of a long-held dream. Without understanding what it is, how to cope, or how to support each other, it can be an incredibly tough and lonely journey.

Part of the reason grief can hit us so hard is that our brains are wired to seek out patterns and predict what comes next. It’s an energy-saving mechanism that helps us function day to day. But the flip side is that we get so used to the routines of life that we almost forget to notice them. We stop paying attention to how extraordinary - even fragile - our ordinary moments actually are.

Grief, as painful as it is, has a way of snapping us out of that autopilot. It reminds us of how precious life is and can serve as a catalyst to live more fully, boldly, courageously, and authentically. In other words, to flourish. So today, I wanted to share a few resources I've found helpful to understand and navigate grief.

• The Australian Psychological Society offers a short overview and links to local support services.
• PositivePsychology.com explains the stages of grief (I recently reviewed the updated version, which will be published soon).
• This TED Talk by Nora McInerny is equal parts informative and hilarious.
• Moving On Doesn’t Mean Letting Go, a book by my friend Gina Moffa, a licensed psychotherapist in the US.
• A short but practical Instagram post on what NOT to say to someone grieving - and what to say instead.

Wishing you a gentle start to the week. Most of us, if we're lucky, get around 4,000 Mondays in a lifetime - may this one be a good one for you.

Warmly,
Maike

PS: Curious how many Mondays you may have left? Here’s a calculator 😉