Phone: (08) 6314 1436 | Email Us
The Regional Men's Health Initiative The Regional Men's Health Initiative The Regional Men's Health Initiative The Regional Men's Health Initiative
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • What we do
      • Warrior Education Sessions
      • Fast Track Pit Stop®
      • Advocacy
    • Partnerships
    • Book, Brochure and Forms
    • Registered Charitable Organisation
    • Warrior Ambassador Awards
  • News
    • Warrior Wellbeing Articles
    • RMHI News
    • Six Monthly Reports
    • Program Evaluations
    • Press Releases
  • Photos
    • 2024
      • Warrior Education Sessions
      • Fast Track Pit Stops
      • Out & About
    • 2023
      • Warrior Education Sessions
      • Fast Track Pit Stops
      • Out & About
    • 2022
      • Warrior Education Sessions
      • Fast Track Pit Stops
      • Out & About
    • 2021
      • Warrior Education Sessions
      • Fast Track Pit Stops
      • Out & About
    • 2020
      • Warrior Education Sessions
      • Fast Track Pit Stops
      • Out & About
    • 2019
      • Warrior Education Sessions
      • Fast Track Pit Stops
      • Out & About
  • Videos
  • Podcast
    • About the Working with Warriors® Podcast
    • How to Listen
    • Podcast Episodes
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Useful Contacts
The Regional Men's Health Initiative The Regional Men's Health Initiative
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • What we do
      • Warrior Education Sessions
      • Fast Track Pit Stop®
      • Advocacy
    • Partnerships
    • Book, Brochure and Forms
    • Registered Charitable Organisation
    • Warrior Ambassador Awards
  • News
    • Warrior Wellbeing Articles
    • RMHI News
    • Six Monthly Reports
    • Program Evaluations
    • Press Releases
  • Photos
    • 2024
      • Warrior Education Sessions
      • Fast Track Pit Stops
      • Out & About
    • 2023
      • Warrior Education Sessions
      • Fast Track Pit Stops
      • Out & About
    • 2022
      • Warrior Education Sessions
      • Fast Track Pit Stops
      • Out & About
    • 2021
      • Warrior Education Sessions
      • Fast Track Pit Stops
      • Out & About
    • 2020
      • Warrior Education Sessions
      • Fast Track Pit Stops
      • Out & About
    • 2019
      • Warrior Education Sessions
      • Fast Track Pit Stops
      • Out & About
  • Videos
  • Podcast
    • About the Working with Warriors® Podcast
    • How to Listen
    • Podcast Episodes
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Useful Contacts
Blog
The Regional Men's Health Initiative / Warrior Wellbeing Articles / What is Loss and Grief?
Sep 01

What is Loss and Grief?

  • September 1, 2021
  • Warrior Wellbeing Articles

Grief is a universal, instinctual and an adaptive reaction to loss, particularly the grief from the loss of a loved one.  Feelings of loss are very personal and only we know what is significant. Less obvious losses can also cause strong feelings of grief such as loss of possessions, job, relationship, health or physical ability.

Loss is an inevitable part of life and grief is a natural part of the healing process that varies for different people.  The grieving process allows those left behind, after a death, to accept the person is no longer around. When experiencing and reacting to grief, it is common to:

  • feel sad or depressed, anxious, nervous or fearful;
  • be irritable or angry (at the deceased, ourself, others);
  • feel frustrated or misunderstood;
  • feel like we want to escape;
  • experience guilt or remorse;
  • be ambivalent, lack energy and motivation.

Each one of us has an individual style of coping with painful experiences (there is no right or wrong way).  Some people don’t show their grief in public but only express it in private.  We don’t always know how people are coping simply by what we see.

The following tips may help generate ideas about how to manage feelings of grief:

  • talk to family, friends or a mate;
  • engage in social activities;
  • exercise and eat healthy foods;
  • take time to relax, listen to music;
  • seek counselling or join a support group;
  • be patient and let ourselves feel grief.

The length of the grief process is different for everyone.  It takes time to heal and this may not be just days it can be weeks, months and even years.

Grief comes in waves.  When the ship is first wrecked, we’re drowning, surrounded by wreckage reminding us of the ship that was and is no more, and all we can do is float.  As we float we hang onto a piece of wreckage for a while in the form of a physical thing (a memory or photograph), it may even be another person floating with us, and for a while all we can do is float.  In the beginning we have 10 metre waves crashing over us 10 seconds apart barely allowing us to breath.  After a while (maybe weeks or months) the 10 metre waves still come crashing over us, but they are now further apart allowing us to breath and function without as much difficulty.

There will be triggers of grief that will arise (a song, a place, a photo) and a wave will come crashing down but in between there is life.  Somewhere down the line (it is different for everybody) we find the waves are only 8 or 5 metres, they still come but are further apart.  We will be able to see them coming (special anniversary days) but now we can prepare ourselves for the waves, knowing we will come out the other side, soaking wet, spluttering and still hanging onto a piece of wreckage but we will come out.  Intermittent waves never stop coming and we don’t really want them to, but we will survive them.

If we feel we are not coping, we need to seek professional help from our GP or a counsellor.

Owen and the Team

The Regional Men’s Health Initiative

delivered by Wheatbelt Men’s Health (Inc.)

PO Box 768, Northam WA 6401

Phone: 08 9690 2277

www.regionalmenshealth.com.au

 

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • E-Mail

Comments are closed.

Subscribe to our Warrior Wellbeing Articles

Subscription is free and you can opt-out at any time. You will receive email updates of our monthly Warrior Wellbeing Articles.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Warrior Wellbeing Articles

  • Ego – It’s Okay to Talk July 2, 2025
  • Capacity – A Wellbeing Driver June 3, 2025
  • Finding Ourselves in Solitude May 1, 2025
  • Understanding Our Prostate April 1, 2025
  • Rethinking Suicide Prevention – A Situational Approach March 1, 2025
  • Returning to Work – Getting Ourselves Back on Track February 1, 2025
  • You Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks January 1, 2025
  • Give Credit Where Credit Is Due – What Are Our Expectations? December 1, 2024
  • Effective Listening November 1, 2024
  • The Three Things a Man Needs October 1, 2024

Contact Info

75 York Rd, Northam WA 6401 Phone: (08) 6314 1436 Web: regionalmenshealth.com.au

Regional Men’s Health

Regional Mens Health

. . . before it all gets too much . . . Talk to a Mate!!®

Phone: (08) 6314 1436
Email Us

What We Do

Regional Men's Health Initiative's primary role is to deliver community education and awareness on men's holistic wellbeing and health.

Latest News

  • Ego – It’s Okay to Talk
  • Capacity – A Wellbeing Driver

Government of Western Australia Registred Charity

Royalties For Regions Wheatbelt Men's Health Inc

Copyright © 2025 Wheatbelt Men's Health Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Constructive Visual