Lots of people I know seem to be dealing loss in its various forms right now!  I found this very wise advice from the Alberta Learning Information Service and thought the time might be right to pass it on! 

Grieving in the Workplace: Coping With Loss

Grief is the process of dealing with loss and it is a normal part of life.

Many kinds of loss can affect your performance at work or that of your colleagues: divorce, retirement, job loss, failure of a project and so on. This tip sheet focuses on grief following the loss of a loved one. The suggestions will help you cope with your own loss or support a bereaved co-worker.

Understanding grief and its effects

Many of us experience powerful emotions when we’re grieving. The stages of grief are shock, denial, anger, bargaining, depression and, finally, acceptance, which may eventually move an individual into healing or growth. Because grief is a very individual experience, we may not experience all stages or we may go through them in a different order.

We can’t attach a timeline to grief—many signs of grief may not appear until weeks or months after the loss. The circumstances of the death and the depth of our connection to the individual can affect our emotional response and the time we need to grieve. For example, a grieving co-worker who seems to be coping well may burst into tears during a meeting many months after a loved one’s death….

You can read the rest of this post at this link http://alis.alberta.ca/ep/eps/tips/tips.html?EK=11611