Hey Reader,

I know this season has been one of intense change and uncertainty, bringing a mix of emotions—confusion, sadness, anger, or even despair. Whatever you're feeling, it's okay to acknowledge and honor it.

For some of us, the intensity of what we’re feeling is heightened by what researchers call ambiguous loss. It’s a profound sense of loss and sadness that isn’t necessarily associated with the death of a loved one. It’s the type of loss for which you may never get closure or an explanation. This kind of loss leaves you searching for answers, and can complicate and delay the grieving process. It can also result in unresolved grief that manifests in destructive ways (e.g. giving up vs. moving forward despite the pain).

Loss is one of a few key challenges we’re experiencing in the evolving workplace that have converged into what Nicola Brown, founder of the Kokoro Wellness community and platform, calls “swirling.” This is when, although a major life disruption is in the rear view mirror, we still carry the residue of unresolved trauma from it. But to keep things moving, we engage in mental and emotional masking, put on a brave face, and return to the world.

The result is a swirl of overwhelming challenges we’re managing intermittently and simultaneously as we try to move forward, but we never seem to get grounded. It’s like driving with the parking brake on or feeling like you’re constantly treading water.

But loss and disappointment are a part of life. Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, feeling powerless in the face of rampant systemic injustice, or anticipatory grief about an uncertain future, we’ll all experience profound loss at one time or another.

Thriving Mindfully Coach and Grief + You Retreat facilitator Ananda Leeke puts it this way:

Honoring our grief is part of what I call the inner work of mindful changemaking. Most of us are familiar with the outer work—“physical” labor— time, people, and project management. The inner work is the mental and emotional labor—connection to purpose, mindset, thoughts, emotions, etc. I share more about this in my book How to Thrive When Work Doesn’t Love You Back A Practical Guide for Taking Care of Yourself While Changing The World.

When we power through and focus only on the outer work, we may experience short-term success. But when we holistically address the inner AND outer work, we can sustainably take care of ourselves and do our best work over the long term, even during challenging times.

Caring for ourselves (and our colleagues) is an important part of the inner work. With grief, we can start by acknowledging that it’s a thing and that it’s okay to grieve at work. There’s no universal response to loss. We respond to it and process it differently.

The good news is you can ground yourself in what seems like a groundless world. You can find your version of a constructive way forward for yourself and your team despite the enormity of the challenges you’re confronting.

In fact, research shows most of us have the capacity to bounce back relatively quickly from trauma. And for those that endure prolonged mental and emotional struggles before recovery, the same research reveals our capacity to experience post-traumatic growth or positive psychological change after a crisis or traumatic event.

You can support your and your team’s growth by creating/updating your well-being plan for navigating this season. I invite you to start with what can realistically fit on an index card. I know as an overachiever you may be tempted to write a 100-page plan with citations and logic models. But this isn’t that. It’s an action plan you can start implementing right away.

Starting with YOU, here are three questions for getting started:

1. What’s my vision for well-being over the next 90 days?
2. What resources can I access right now to support it?
3. What’s one small step I can take this week?

Here are three prompts for getting started with your team plan:

1. What’s our vision for team well-being in the next 90 days?
2. What resources are already available to us?
3. What’s one strategy we can implement now?

As you move through this season, I invite you to give grace to yourself and your colleagues. It’s okay to not be okay. Human emotions are complex.

Yet, even in the midst of grief, transition, and disruption, together we can find a way to go onward and use them to fuel the journey ahead.

Onward,

Meico

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