Coping with Grief and Loss Workbook

Workbook

COPING

WITH GRIEF

AND LOSS

This workbook includes tools for exploring your experience with grief

and loss.

Scroll down to see the following resources, which can help you

understand how we are impacted by grief, how to name the emotions

we are feeling, how to calm ourselves when feeling overwhelmed by

those emotions, and how to support our well-being during any stage of

the grief cycle and beyond:

What is Grief 1.

The Stages of Grief 2.

The Grief Cycle3.

Grounding Exercise4.

Feelings Wheel5.

Relaxation Techniques 6.

Self-Care Plan7.

Physical symptoms may include:

Fatigue.

Headaches.

Nausea.

Restlessness.

Upset stomach.

Heart palpitations.

Weak muscles or joint pain.

Tightness in your chest or throat.

Having reduced or increased appetite.

Trouble sleeping (insomnia) or sleeping too much.

Behavioral changes may include:

Confusion.

Trouble thinking or making decisions.

Feeling as if you’ve lost a sense of hope or direction.

Difficulty focusing on anything other than your loss.

Difficulty remembering or keeping track of your responsibilities.

Grief is the experience of coping with loss and can be a result

of any change in our daily lives.

WHAT IS GRIEF?

The Stages of Grief

The Kübler-Ross model of grief (the ﬁve stages of grief) describes ﬁve primary responses to

loss. These stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Someone who

is grieving may go through these stages in any order, and they may return to previous

stages.

Denial: “This can’t be happening.”

Individuals may refuse to accept the fact that a loss has occurred. They may minimize or

outright deny the situation. It is suggested that loved ones and professionals be forward

and honest about losses to not prolong the denial stage.

Anger: “Why is this happening to me?”

When an individual realizes that a loss has occurred, they may become angry at themselves

or others. They may argue that the situation is unfair and try to place blame.

Bargaining: “I will do anything to change this.”

In bargaining, the individual may try to change or delay their loss. For example, they may try

to convince a partner to return after a breakup, or search for unlikely cures in the case of a

terminal illness.

Depression: “What’s the point of going on after this loss?”

At the stage of depression the individual has come to recognize that a loss has occurred or

will occur. The individual may isolate themselves and spend time crying and grieving.

Depression is a precursor to acceptance because the individual has come to recognize their

loss.

Acceptance: “It’s going to be okay.”

Finally, the individual will come to accept their loss. They understand the situation logically,

and they have come to terms emotionally with the situation.

Denial: “This can’t be happening.”

Anger: “Why is this happening to me?”

Bargaining: “I will do anything to change this.”

Depression: “What is the point of going on after loss?”

Acceptance: “I know what happened. I can’t change it.

Now, I need to cope.”

Developed by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, worksheet adapted from therapistaid.com

Use this worksheet to think about your own stages of grief. Have you had any

of these thoughts? Use the spaces below each thought to write down any

examples from your own experience.

THE GRIEF CYCLE

GROUNDING EXERCISE

Name 5 things you can see.

Name 2 things you can smell.

Name 3 things you can hear.

Name 4 things you can feel.

Name 1 thing you can taste.

When experiencing grief, our emotions can feel overwhelming at times.

During those moments, grounding techniques can help us to calm our

mind and our body. Here is one helpful practice.

A TOOL FOR UNDERSTANDING EMOTIONS

The Feelings Wheel can help people recognize and communicate what they are

feeling. The inner circle is labeled with names of primary feelings (mad, sad,

scared, joyful, powerful, and peaceful). The outer rings contain names of

secondary feelings related to the primary ones. Use the Feelings Wheel to

describe how you're feeling.

FEELINGS WHEEL

RELAXATION

TECHNIQUES

Deep Belly Breathing (Diaphragmatic Breathing):

Sit or lie down in a comfortable position.

Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.

Inhale deeply through your nose, expanding your diaphragm and feeling

your abdomen rise.

Exhale slowly and completely through your mouth, feeling your abdomen

fall.

Repeat for several breaths, focusing on the rhythmic rise and fall of your

abdomen.

4-7-8 Breathing (Relaxing Breath):

Sit or lie down comfortably.

Inhale quietly through your nose for a count of four.

Hold your breath for a count of seven.

Exhale completely and audibly through your mouth for a count of eight.

Repeat this cycle as many times as needed.

Box Breathing (Square Breathing):

Inhale through your nose for a count of four.

Hold your breath for a count of four.

Exhale completely through your mouth for a count of four.

Pause and hold your breath for a count of four before beginning the next

cycle.

Repeat the box breathing pattern for several rounds.

Area of self-care

Physical

Eat regular and healthy

meals, good sleep habits, regular

exercise, medical check-ups.

Emotional

Engage in positive

activities, acknowledge

accomplishments, express

emotions in a healthy way.

Spiritual

Read inspirational literature,

self-reflection, spend time

in nature, meditate, explore

spiritual connections.

Professional

Pursue meaningful work,

maintain work-life balance,

positive relationships with co-

workers, time management skills.

Social

Healthy relationships, make

time for family/friends, spend

time with partner/spouse, ask

for support from family and

friends.

Financial

Understand how finances

impact your quality of life,

create a budget or financial plan,

pay off debt.

Psychological

Take time for yourself,

disconnect from electronic

devices, learn new skills, engage

in psychotherapy, life coaching,

or counseling support.

Current practices Practices to try

When experiencing grief, it is more important than ever to take good care of

ourselves. This is also a time when it can be more difficult to do so. Using a plan

like the one below can help keep us on track.

SELF-CARE