If you’re looking for ways to understand or work with grief, these resources are a good place to start. There’s no single right approach. What matters most is finding what genuinely helps you.
Where I’d start: emotional completion
Of everything here, nothing matters more than a process of emotional completion: dealing with what was left unsaid or unfinished in a relationship and the root causes of how you are feeling, rather than only managing or coping indefinitely. It’s why, after exploring so many approaches, I’ve dedicated my work to Grief Recovery Method®.
It’s a structured, compassionate, action-based programme of support that applies to all kinds of loss, not only bereavement. What you learn will be with you for every future loss, and for supporting others too. You can read more about how I work here.
Rest and the body
Grief can be physically exhausting. Deep rest is always important, but never more so than when your body and brain are working so hard to adjust to a new reality. Yoga Nidra is the practice I recommend most - you don’t have to do much for this, simply lie on a bed or a yoga mat, making sure you’re warm and comfortable, and listen to a recording. An eye mask over your eyes can help. Whether you listen to the instructions or drift off, there’s no right or wrong way to do this. Even 20 minutes can feel deeply restorative, and many teachers say this is long enough to create the feeling of 2 hours of sleep.
You might want to try a simple practice once a day for a week or so and see if anything is different. There are many Yoga Nidra recordings out there, on YouTube especially. This is a short 20 min recording from the free app Insight Timer I highly recommend.
Organisations and immediate support
If you’re ever in crisis, contact your GP or NHS 111. You can also text SHOUT on 85258 or call Samaritans on 116 123 (UK & ROI). Outside the UK, findahelpline.com lists free, confidential helplines by country.
For bereavement support and community:
Cruse Bereavement Support – free counselling. As one of their volunteers I rate them highly. Waiting lists are growing but it’s always worth signing up – that support may come exactly when you need it.
Sue Ryder – extensive bereavement resources
Marie Curie – experts in end-of-life care
Helen & Douglas House – hospice for children and young adults
RoadPeace – support for road crash victims
Books and learning
Grief Works – Julia Samuel. Insightful case studies and reflections from one of the UK’s leading grief psychotherapists.
The Grieving Brain – Mary-Frances O’Connor, PhD. A fascinating, technical look at the neurobiology of grief.
With the End in Mind – Kathryn Mannix. Beautiful writing on dying, death, and wisdom in an age of denial.
The Body Keeps the Score – Bessel van der Kolk. A seminal text on trauma and the body.
The Wild Edge of Sorrow – Francis Weller. A poetic and profound exploration of communal grief.
The Grief Recovery Handbook – John W. James and Russell Friedman. A compassionate, beautifully straightforward and deeply practical book that has informed much of my own work. If you plan to go through the method with a certified specialist later, it’s best to stop after the first five chapters.
Podcasts
Griefcast – Cariad Lloyd
The Grief Gang – Amber Jeffrey (thegriefgang.com)
Grief in the workplace
Acas: Time off for bereavement – clear, practical UK guidance for employers and employees, including rights, time off and bereavement policy.
While much of the available data predates the pandemic, these reports remain valuable starting points:
For Grief and leadership: the book, Leadership on the Line – Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky. A leadership classic built on one insight: people don’t resist change, they resist loss.