A FINAL WORD
Not everything that is faced can be changed easily,
but nothing can be changed unless it is faced.
James Baldwin
You have come a long way since the day you found out that your job was ending. You faced the shock of it and you weathered the tough emotions that it brought. You grieved and mourned, with the help of others. Finally, you set your intention on what you wanted your career life to look like and you took specific actions to make that intention real. You planted yourself in the ground and became ready to withstand the winds of the day. You grew strong and opened to transformation.
Our hope for you is that you will someday look back on this journey and see that it was a positive and necessary transition in your lifeone that pushed you forward to a better place. Our hope is that you find satisfying work that brings you new challenges, new skills, and a profoundly meaningful future.
Remember that the journey through job loss is not always linear. The beginning and ending are not always clear. In grief and mourning, we often need to take steps backward to move forward. If you need to go back and repeat earlier steps, dont judge yourself or worry about your progress. Trust that even when it doesnt feel like it, you are doing the grief work that you need to do.
Spot the horizon. Spot the light at the top of the stairs. Allow this journey to take as long as it needs to take to heal andtransform you. Trust the process and keep moving forward with intention.
Remember to take good care of yourself along the way. To be self-nurturing is to have the courage to pay attention to your needs, both at home and with your job search. Above all, self-nurturing is about self-acceptance. Please recognize that it will take both time and willingness to actively participate in mourning. If you commit yourself to authentic mourning, you can and will go on to find meaning and purpose in you life and work.
Every day is a new day and presents a new opportunity to embrace your journey. Each day provides a chance for you to feel your emotions, grieve, mourn, ask for the support of others, get organized, explore what you want, define who you are, and believe in yourself. Make every day count. We have faith in you. We see your future, and its full of promise.
SEND US YOUR IDEAS FOR HEALING GRIEF DURING A JOB LOSS
Wed love to hear your practical ideas for coping after job loss. We may use them in other books someday. Please jot down your idea and mail it to:
Center for Loss and Life Transition
3735 Broken Bow Road
Fort Collins, CO 80526
Or email us at DrWolfelt@centerforloss.com
or go to this website, www.centerforloss.com .
We hope to hear from you!
My idea:
My name and mailing address:
ALSO BY DR. ALAN WOLFELT
Healing Grief at Work
100 Practical Ideas After Your Workplace is Touched by Loss
How should we respond when a colleague dies? What can we do when a coworkers family member dies? What if a tragedy impacts multiple people in the workplace? And if were grieving, what can we do with our grief 8-5, Monday through Friday?
This book seeks to answer these questions and more in Dr. Wolfelts practical, compassionate style. Topics covered include effective ways to channel grief during the workday, supporting coworkers who mourn, participating in group memorials, negotiating appropriate bereavement leave, and many others.
Ideas for both the mourner and the mourners coworkers are included. Purchased in bulk, this book makes an excellent resource for employee in-services as well as general distribution at a time of need.
A special introduction for employers (owners, managers, human resource personnel, EAPs etc.) addresses the economic impact of grief in the workplace (conservatively estimated at $75 billion per year in the US) and provides practical and cost-effective ideas for maintaining morale and creating a productive yet compassionate work environment.
ISBN 978-1-879651-45-6 128 pages softcover $11.95
All Dr. Wolfelts publications can be ordered by mail from:
Companion Press
3735 Broken Bow Road
Fort Collins, CO 80526
(970) 226-6050
www.centerforloss.com
Healing Your Grieving Soul
100 Spiritual Practices for Mourners
Grief is in large part a spiritual struggle, and turning to spiritual practices in the face of loss helps many people find hope and healing. Following a helpful introduction about the role of spirituality in grief, this practical guide offers tips and activities on meditation, prayer, yoga, solitude and many more. Mourners who are feeling anxious might try breathing exercises. Those experiencing fatigue might try massage. Each idea is accompanied by a carpe diem, which is a specific activity that the reader can try right that very moment to engage with her grief on the path to healing.
ISBN 978-1-879651-57-9 128 pages softcover $11.95
All Dr. Wolfelts publications can be ordered by mail from:
Companion Press
3735 Broken Bow Road
Fort Collins, CO 80526
(970) 226-6050
www.centerforloss.com
Healing Your Grieving Body
100 Physical Practices for Mourners by Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D. and Kirby Duvall, M.D.
Dr. Wolfelt has teamed up with physician Kirby Duvall to pen this practical new guide. Do you have muscle aches and pains, problems with eating and sleeping, low energy, headaches and other physical symptoms since the death of someone loved? When you are grieving, your body often lets you know it feels distressed, too. In fact, you may be shocked by how much your body responds to the impact of your loss. The mind-body connection in grief is profoundly strong, but taking care of your body in the 100 ways described in this new addition to our popular 100 Ideas series will help you soothe your body as you heal your heart and soul.