National Grief Awareness Day is August 30, 2022. This year, it is more important than ever to have those uncomfortable conversations about any losses you have experienced over the last couple of years. Covid-19 caused many losses in all of our lives. Talking about grief helps us understand and process the losses that we have experienced.
Angie Cartwright (2014) created National Grief Awareness Day to highlight how important our grieving journey is, and to help start conversations around each person’s personal experience with grief. When we talk about grieving, we start to heal the pain. Together we can change the face of grief and the myth that we should grieve alone. Angie Cartwright (2014) in her article written for National Today states that we can help change the myths of grief by participating in National Grief Awareness Day.
Here are three tips you can use to help others in their grief journey:
- Support a friend or relative that has experienced a loss.
Be a shoulder to lean on, listen to their story, talk with them about their experience and let them hear your side. Just be a good friend! Your smile can make a huge difference in someone else’s suffering. - Practice good self-care.
You cannot support anyone if you are not looking after your grief. It is important to get enough sleep, exercise, food, and support to grieve your losses. Joining a grief group can help your self-care journey in ways you may never experience on your own. - On August 30, 2022, post your favorite grief meme or quote on social media.
You have no idea how that might impact someone else’s grief. Posting also gives you a voice for your suffering. It is a simple way that we can get the message out to the world that it is ok to grieve the losses that we have collectively been experiencing together. Your voice matters.
Cartwright, Angie. 2014. National Grief Awareness Day. https://nationaltoday.com/national-grief-awareness-day/. National Today 2017-2022.
