On Collective Grief: Caring for Our Emotions in the Wake of the U.S. Election
Collective grief is a term used to describe the reaction of a group of people who undergo a significant loss or extreme change together. This can include experiencing any tragedy that affects a community or nation. We can feel this type of grief following a natural disaster, an act of mass violence, a hate crime, a pandemic, an act of war, or any event that threatens the safety and stability of our community.
Grief is a natural response to all kinds of loss - changing relationships, losing a job, moving to a new city, experiencing decreased physical or mental functioning, confronting our own mortality, or becoming disillusioned about the state of the world. We can also grieve the loss of a vision or expectation for the future.
How to Find an Anchor When You Feel Adrift
Feeling adrift in life can be descriptive of a host of related emotions. For example, it could connote boredom, exhaustion, emptiness, loneliness, or deeper questions about what makes life meaningful. All of these emotions can be triggered by internal factors as well as factors outside of us that impact our lives and our ability to cope with stressors.
Feeling the January Blues? There’s Hope.
Spring might be a few months away, but you don’t have to wait until April to start feeling better. When you find yourself feeling down and experiencing the January blues, here are a few strategies to consider for lifting your mood.