November 3, 2026

Moving Forward Without Leaving Them Behind: Navigating Grief After Loss

Janna Potter, Health & Wellness Intern, & Ashley Yaugher, Health & Wellness Faculty

Painted heart-shaped rock on a weathered wooden bench reads, “For all those we have loved & lost,” surrounded by several small decorative stones.

Introduction

Grief is a personal journey that no one chooses to take. Even though death is a natural part of life, no one relishes the thought of losing someone they love. Whether a loss is expected or sudden, it brings emotions that can be difficult to navigate. This article aims to offer support and guidance to those navigating grief after the loss of a loved one.

Grief is defined as the intense emotional reaction experienced after a significant loss. Grief can be the sense of yearning for your loved one, sadness, and, in some cases, physiological distress, confusion, or a life-threatening physical response (Seiler et al., 2020). However, not all bereavements result in such an intense response. Grief is highly individual, and people may experience and express their loss in very different ways.

There is no one right way to grieve a loved one, and there is no timeline as to when you should no longer feel grief. Healthy grieving can include allowing yourself to feel the loss, accepting support, talking about the person you lost, and learning how to carry that relationship forward with you as you continue to live your life.

Navigating the Firsts

The first year after the loss of a loved one can bring many ups and downs that can be difficult to navigate. Know that you do not have to be strong all the time. The anticipation of the first holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions without a loved one can sometimes be as difficult as the day itself. Planning a special meal, tradition, or new routine can provide something meaningful to hold onto during those difficult milestones.

It is not unusual to feel grief come in waves.  Permit yourself to experience those emotions as they come. For example, there may be times when you want to talk about your loved one and times when you may not.

Children and Grief

Grief also affects children on an individual level. Talking about a loved one can give children permission to remember and express their own feelings. At the same time, children experiencing grief may move between wanting to talk about their loss and not wanting to talk about it. Giving them room to move through this process at their own pace can be important (Weinberg-Kurnik & Leichtentritt, 2024)

Moving Forward Without Leaving Them Behind

Although your loved one is no longer physically present, maintaining a bond with them can be a meaningful and comforting part of the grieving process. Hewson and colleagues (2024) defined “continuing bonds” as an ongoing inner relationship with a loved one who has passed away. Maintaining that connection may include talking to or writing notes to your loved one, looking at photographs, sharing memories, or finding other ways to keep their memory alive. These connections can provide comfort throughout the grieving process. Healing from grief does not have a set timeline, and moving forward does not have to mean leaving your loved one behind. For many people, healing includes finding new ways to carry that relationship with them as they continue to live their own lives.

Remember to take care of yourself while you are grieving. Grief can affect both your emotional and physical well-being, making it especially important to eat balanced meals, get adequate sleep, and reach out for support when you need it (National Institute on Aging [NIA], n.d.; Stahl & Schultz, 2013). If you are finding that grief is becoming overwhelming or all-consuming of your thoughts or behaviors, even a year or more after your loss of a loved one, you may be experiencing a prolonged grief disorder or complicated grief (American Psychiatric Association, n.d.; NIA, n.d.). Counseling or talking about your sorrow with others can help process grief. If you have experienced thoughts of harming yourself or feeling intense emotional distress, or if you are simply having a bad day and need someone to talk to, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 to provide free, confidential support.

How to Support Someone who is Grieving

When someone is grieving, even well-intentioned words can sometimes feel dismissive of the loss. Friends and family may simply not know what to say. Some commonly used phrases that may not feel helpful include:

  • It will get better with time or Time Heals All Wounds
  • They are in a better place
  • I know exactly how you feel
  • Everything Happens for a Reason

Offering support, rather than comfort, can be more helpful for someone who has lost a loved one. Bereaved parents and siblings identified emotional expression, acceptance, and seeking support from others as helpful coping mechanisms (Thompson et al., 2011). Ways to do this include saying:

  • I would like to just sit with you in your grief; would that be okay?
  • I am here to listen. Would you like to talk?
  • I am so sorry you are going through this.
  • How are you doing today?

Conclusion

Grief is a natural part of losing a loved one, and it looks different for each person. Grief can come in waves and reappear at different times throughout the year or with small reminders of a loved one. Be gentle and kind to yourself and others who are experiencing a loss. If grief becomes too much, therapy and counseling can be a valuable tool to help process and grieve in a healthy way. Over time, grief can change or start to lessen; however, you can find ways to move forward without leaving a loved one behind. 

Helpful Resources

References

American Psychiatric Association. (n.d.). Prolonged grief disorder. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/prolonged-grief-disorder

Hewson, H., Galbraith, N., Jones, C., & Heath, G. (2024). The impact of continuing bonds following bereavement: A systematic review. Death studies, 48(10), 1001–1014. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2023.2223593

National Institute on Aging. (n.d.) Coping with grief and loss. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/grief-and-mourning/coping-grief-and-loss

Seiler, A., von Känel, R., & Slavich, G. M. (2020). The Psychobiology of Bereavement and Health: A Conceptual Review From the Perspective of Social Signal Transduction Theory of Depression. Frontiers in psychiatry, 11, 565239. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.565239

Stahl, S. T., & Schulz, R. (2013). Changes in routine health Behaviors Following Late-life Bereavement: A Systematic review. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 37(4), 736–755. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-013-9524-7

Thompson, A. L., Miller, K. S., Barrera, M., Davies, B., Foster, T. L., Gilmer, M. J., Hogan, N., Vannatta, K., & Gerhardt, C. A. (2011). A qualitative study of advice from bereaved parents and siblings. Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life & Palliative Care, 7(2–3), 153–172. https://doi.org/10.1080/15524256.2011.593153

Weinberg-Kurnik, G., & Leichtentritt, R. D. (2024). I occasionally wear his huge sweaters. . . but I often prefer not to think about it: Bereaved children talking and not talking about parental loss. Death Studies, 48(8), 860–872. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2023.2285308