National Grief Awareness Week: Why Talking About Grief Matters
A heartfelt thank you to Paul Graham for sharing this stunning image of sunrise on South Shields Beach. It beautifully reflects the solitary and deeply personal nature of the journey through grief.
Grief. It’s one of those words that makes people uncomfortable. We don’t know what to say, how to act, or even how to acknowledge it sometimes. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned—through personal loss and working with so many others navigating the waves of grief—it’s that talking about it changes everything.
National Grief Awareness Week (December 2–8) is here to remind us of that. It’s about breaking the silence, making space for the hard conversations, and recognising that grief touches us all in different ways.
Grief and the Workplace: A Quiet Storm
When I lost my husband to suicide, the weight of grief felt unbearable. But what made it even harder was stepping back into the workplace, carrying that heavy load and pretending to be okay. It felt like there wasn’t room for the pain I was feeling, and I quickly learned that so many others feel the same.
Grief doesn’t stay at home when you come to work—it shows up with you, whether you want it to or not. That’s why creating supportive workplaces matters so much. It’s not just about policies like bereavement leave (though those are important). It’s about people—colleagues, managers, entire teams—knowing how to show up for someone in their hardest moments.
We’ve talked about this a lot in my webinars:
Language shapes connection. Even imperfect words can offer comfort and acknowledgment, while silence may unintentionally deepen the pain.
Cultural and spiritual traditions hold deep meaning. Grief is expressed in ways shaped by personal beliefs, and respecting these differences fosters understanding and inclusivity in the workplace.
Time matters. Grief doesn’t end after a few weeks or months—it’s a lifelong journey.
Why This Week Matters to Me
This week is personal for me, not just because of my own story but because of the stories I hear every day. The colleague who felt lost trying to support a grieving teammate. The manager who wanted to help but didn’t know where to start. The person who came back to work after a loss and felt like no one noticed or cared.
National Grief Awareness Week is about changing that. It’s about creating workplaces—and a world—where grief isn’t something we brush under the carpet. Where people can show up as they are, messy emotions and all, and know they’ll be met with compassion.
What Can We Do?
So, what can we do? It doesn’t have to be big or complicated.
Start the conversation. Whether it’s at work, at home, or with a friend, ask how someone is really doing. And then listen.
Learn more. Grief is so individual, and understanding different perspectives—cultural, religious, or personal—can help us support others better.
Look at your policies. If you’re an employer, ask yourself: Are we really supporting our employees in their grief?
These small steps add up.
A Shared Journey
At The Flying Fish Company, I talk a lot about the waves of grief—how they come and go, often when we least expect them. It’s a journey that none of us can escape, but it’s one we don’t have to navigate alone.
This week, I hope we can all take a moment to reflect on how we show up for others in their grief. Whether it’s a colleague, a friend, or even ourselves, let’s commit to being present, to listening, and to making space for all that grief brings.
We can’t change the fact that grief exists, but together, we can make it a little less lonely.
Let’s keep the conversation going—this week and beyond.
If you would like to read more about Why Grief Training Matters click here
