So many people around the globe are experiencing grief right now, and not just because of Coronavirus. This year’s been challenging and full of change for so many of us. People have lost loved ones and jobs, experienced heath issues, and had their routines thrown out of whack. We’re questioning our sense of self, we can’t physically connect with those we love, and a trip to our favourite restaurant or cafe is out of the question. These shifts create ripples in our internal and external world and have an impact on our hearts, and our energy.
Let Yourself Feel It
For some of us, we’re questioning things – perhaps everything. How we live, what we choose, how we spend our time, what we believe, who we are – all of it.
Add to the mix that thoughts like, ‘it’s not okay for me to feel sad about this thing that’s happened because there’s bigger stuff happening in the world right now‘, might be coming up and it can leave us feeling emotionally raw.
But, here’s the thing. Our personal reality is our personal reality, and what has meaning for us, has meaning for us.
If we don’t allow ourselves to feel our feelings we can end up stuffing them down with a hearty helping of guilt dumped on the top, and those kinds of feelings fester when left bottled up.
Loss Through Change
I think traditionally “grief” has been placed solely in the “okay to feel it when losing a loved one or experiencing trauma” bucket, but that limits the full human experience. It also means that sometimes we don’t acknowledge or allow ourselves to fully experience grief in our lives.
ANY change can create feelings of loss and grief, and I have no doubt each and every one of us in this community have some grief buried inside us that we’ve never given ourselves permission to fully see, feel, release or heal.
So I invite you, as it feels safe and supportive for you, to explore these prompts. I will too. And just see what comes up.
Go Gently
These prompts are best explored when you can take some ‘me time’ to sit and ponder them and, if you can, allow some quiet time afterwards to process or integrate what comes up for you.
You might find some long held feelings bubble to the surface and, while it’s ultimately freeing, in the moment it can leave you feeling a little vulnerable, so go gently, nurture yourself, and seek support if you need it.
Know too that it’s safe for you to not only feel your feelings, but surrender what your body and heart no longer need to hold on to. Give yourself permission to fully experience the moment and emotion you’re currently in and let these prompts support and heal your heart.
ONE :: Where in my life am I feeling grief right now?
TWO :: How does that feel in my body?
THREE :: What feelings of grief do I have that want to be honoured, acknowledged or seen?
FOUR :: Is there any grief from my life that I’ve been trying to ignore? How can I allow that grief to be seen, felt, healed or heard?
FIVE :: What does my grief need me to know?
SIX :: What does my grief need me to do?
SEVEN :: If I allowed myself to fully feel or express my grief, what would that look like or mean? What would I do or say? What would I allow?
EIGHT :: If there was a gift in my grief, what might it be?
NINE :: Am I experiencing any resistance or guilt around my grief? If so, how can I set that lovingly down so I can fully feel or express my grief?
TEN :: Is there anything else I need or am being called to express or explore about my grief? If yes, what might that be? (free write what you need to get off your heart or out of your head or body and onto paper).
If you have any questions, would like to ask or share anything, or would like more prompts on this, or any other topic, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Sarah x
P.S. If you enjoyed exploring these journaling prompts, you might also like to ponder these prompts on releasing fear.