Today the whole world is going through loss, many have lost loved ones, others have lost jobs, homes, peace or   their “daily normal”: their routine, the way they relate to others and how they work. Change has touched everyone this year in 2020 with the Covid-19 pandemic.

              Understanding that loss is part of our lives is important in order to identify how it affects us and how we deal with it. Loss may imply the stages of life we go through and lose:  puberty is losing our childhood, adulthood implies losing our adolescence; moving from one home to another makes us miss our older home together with the neighbors and experiences.  The passing of a loved one, changing jobs, moving to another city, or even losing that special object given to us by a special person are events in our lives which create a feeling of loss. Not everyone deals with loss in the same way. It may be devastating for some and not so heartbreaking for others.

              The uniqueness of each individual makes us different from others. We are all humans, although, each one of us has our own past built up by experiences, culture, environment, education, weaknesses, strengths, feelings, memories and interpretations. Even brothers and sisters, who lived with us, may perceive things in a different way than we do. This doesn´t mean we are right and they are wrong by recalling things differently. It just means that we each have our own perceptions; we felt things in different ways.

              Loss involves change for the person living it. Dealing with loss and adapting to change can be complex, although if we know how to deal with these we will be able to cope with the present in a better and healthier way. If as leaders, we are able to deal with both loss and change on a personal level, we will be able to guide our teams in an assertive way in order to keep them focused while adapting to their necessary changes.

There are 5 stages of grief (Elizabeth Kübler-Ross), to go through when we face loss:

1. Denial

     The person is not ready for the news; it works as a shock absorber to be able to cope step by step with what has happened. This protects the individual from the intensity of the loss and will slowly diminish the impact.

2. Anger

    A stage in which, the person feels anger and rage against the event itself or person. There can be a feeling of abandonment. This is a difficult stage for the people around the affected person.

3. Bargaining

       A stage where dwelling over what could have prevented the loss and how to accept the facts. It is important to resolve these questions in order to enter into the healing process.

4. Depression

      Symptoms of depression can occur, such as sleep and appetite disturbances, loneliness and crying spells. This stage is essential to the healing process.

5. Acceptance

     A stage where the person is able to cope with loss and adapt to the new situation. The integration of the range of emotions into life experiences allows the healing process to begin.

      What makes grief difficult is that these 5 stages do not occur in order. They may all occur in one day, making the person feel crazy while going through different feelings at the same time.