To mark the two year anniversary of the UK going into national lockdown, National Day of Reflection encourages us to come together and remember what we’ve lost
I still remember the day we left the office to work from home for what we thought would be a couple of weeks. So it’s quite incredible to realise now it’s been a couple of years. Today is the two year anniversary of the UK going into lockdown, and charity Marie Curie is once again encouraging us all to reflect on National Day of Reflection.
The awareness day asks us to take a moment to reflect on the last two years and remember those we’ve lost. Inspiring a sense of connection as we come together to reflect, there is also a spark of hope weaved into the day, reminding us of our innate strength and compassion.
As well as encouraging a minute’s silence at noon, the charity is hosting a number of online talks including a mindfulness workshop on grief at 3:30pm hosted by therapist Neil Morbey and The Memory Kitchen at 6:00pm, where TV presenter Mel Giedroyc brings special guests together around the kitchen table to share family recipes and discuss the role of food in grief.
Resources to help with bereavement
If you’ve lost someone during the covid pandemic, know that you are not alone. Counsellor and author Lianna Champ has written several articles around coping with bereavement, including the following.
How to cope with sudden bereavement
In this article Lianna explores how we can cope when we lose someone unexpectedly.
“Whatever you experience when you suffer loss is your normal and natural reaction. Don’t question your initial reaction. Grief is incredibly personal and no two people will react to the same loss in exactly the same way. Try not to compare your feelings with others.”
How to cope with anger in grief
Anger is a common reaction to grief. In this article Lianna encourages us to look beyond the anger.
“Anger is not an emotion in its own right, but stems from hurt, sadness, or fear. Grief makes us feel out of control and that in itself is scary. The anger can grow into a large ball and it can be easier to remain angry than to process the truth around the pain of our grief.”
5 ways to support someone who is grieving
If a loved one is going through a bereavement, it can be hard to know how to help. In this guide Lianna shares five ways we can show our support.
“Working through grief takes time, so don’t expect too much too soon. They will need to focus on the process, the journey rather than the destination. They need to allow themselves the luxury of feeling the pain and grieving. Just as we laugh when we are happy, we need to allow ourselves to hurt through our loss.”
Processing what’s happened
As well as dealing with the loss caused by covid, the pandemic has triggered other traumas we need to process.
How to process the pandemic experience
In this article psychotherapist Emmy Brunner shares her thoughts on how we can process what we’ve been through.
“As well as the direct traumas that the pandemic has caused – the deaths, illness, job losses, and hardship – the pandemic has also called into question our life choices: opportunities missed, loves lost, parts of ourselves we have come to realise that we have abandoned. I think that these aspects have also been traumatic and need addressing.” Emmy Brunner is a psychotherapist
Words of hope for hard times
Collecting words of hope from the Happiful team and community, here we share some ideas to help you when you’re going through a tough time.
“A sentiment I’ve found myself repeating recently is: ‘We rise.’ To me, this is a personal reminder that with both difficult situations and people, or when my patience is being tested, I can both rise above it and rise to the challenge. I am more than my circumstances dictate.” – Rebecca Thair, editor
How to cope with uncertainty
If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that uncertainty is part and parcel of our future. Instead of fearing the unknown, in this article creative scientist Katherine Templar Lewis shares how we can reframe uncertainty and reap its benefits.
“We are always stronger together. Admitting doubt and anxiety in uncertainty is not just human, it allows others to do the same. We have greater resilience when we work as a team or community.”
If you are struggling to cope you can use Counselling Directory to connect with a therapist today.