In times of global uncertainty, each of us has experienced grief at one or the other levels.
Grief as per dictionary definition is, "Intense sorrow, especially caused by death or loss", and because of this factor, I feel it's the most appropriate term to use for what we all are experiencing within. (Naming this experience creates a sense of clarity and a path to flow).
It might surely look like there is no way out, once trapped in the cage of grief. The journey feels impossible, hopeless, dark, and scary (very scary).
It's like a never-ending night in a dense forest. You might be already visualizing it and feeling a sort of discomfort, right? it's natural, that's how humans are.
So, now imagine how this dense scary forest will look as the sun rises above the horizon? how life will rise with the softness of dawn and freshness in the air? how heavenly the atmosphere will feel?
In this same manner, this dense never-ending feeling of grief will also bring a new light into the lives of all. How?
Life Cycle of Grief
This might sound very fictitious in nature but is the most profound fact. That is the lifecycle of grief. It starts with:
Denial
When we face an uncertain situation as humans, we tend to not accept its reality for there is the fear of the unknown.
Anger
Often in the midst of such a situation, we lose our sense of freedom and feel irritated about it. As we enter into a survival mindset we tend to burst out in anger and confusion.
Assurance
Slowly we start to realize the reality and try to soothe ourselves and those around us with the comfort of having an end to this situation soon.
Depression/Anxiety
At times when our entire lives (individually and collectively) start getting affected, we out of despair start thinking about the painful end of our very existence. or as if there is no way out.
Acceptance
But when we start to survive in those crises and learn to deal with the issue, we consciously accept the reality and can rationally comprehend the entire scenario.
Meaning
Then comes a time when each of us starts to analyze the 'whys', 'hows', and 'whats' about the uncertainty.
So, these are the stages in the life cycle of grief. They are not linear in nature always but we do live by each of these stages one by one.
How To Live In The Grief Period
aka Period of Uncertainty
It is said that "Solutions to most of the questions are often found in the problem itself".
Be under global uncertainty or individual crises, we cannot escape/ignore the issue and expect it to just vanish away from our path. Just as nature is a loop of birth, death, and rebirth in the same way at a micro level, as humans we experience birth, death, and rebirth multiple times in form of grief.
Entering into the period of grief (Birth) > Accepting, Analyzing, Understanding the situation (Death) > Seeking New Deeper Perspective Towards Life (Rebirth)
Every cave of uncertainty (grief period) has an entryway (Birth), an exit way (Rebirth), and various passages in between (death). But the direction which we choose while traveling inside the cave decides our individual exit, i.e. we all have to face uncertainties in our lifetimes (for sure) but the way we respondto those uncertainties defines the way we are going to live after that specific phase.
Here death refers to........
All the old patterns of living hold no significance in the present moment. One must recognize andlet go off those patterns.
The constant hustling in life. Taking moments to analyze the worth of one's life and reprioritize things that bring value to our living.
Avoid the sense of losing oneself in the madness of the unknown. One must understand that every situation has a deeper bigger meaning which is a guiding force for every individual to grow.
And rebirth means.......
Receiving and accepting the message, the lesson that was kept for us.
Reclaim and cherish the reality of life
To become aware of the inner strength and hold thyself from that very moment
To seek a new brighter perspective towards life.
We will experience this kind of reality only when we keep patience, faith, and love within ourselves. Else,we can easily fall into the realm of a degraded manner of living. So, no matter what the crisis may look like, make sure to commit yourself towards:
Patience
so that you get time to comprehend the present situation.
Faith
I.e. the reality that whatever happens is for and because of the higher good for all/me.
Rest
Taking time off from work and prioritizing time for self and loved ones.
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