Grief is Good

With change comes loss, even if the change is good. And loss must be grieved so you can leave the "old" behind and move into the "new" in a healthy way.

Most grief professionals agree that the grieving process consists of five stages that must be addressed in order to move on. The five stages are:

* Denial – Not accepting that it’s really happening.
* Bargaining – Believing that with negotiation or adjustment it can go back to the way it used to be.
* Anger – Feeling that the situation is “unfair”
* Sadness – Feeling lost, alone, or vulnerable.
* Acceptance – Realizing that things will not go back to the way they were, and it's time to move on.

When grieving a loss, you may move from one stage to the next and then back again. This is a normal part of the process. So when experiencing a change, don't resist the grieving process. Although at first it may not feel like grief is good, it does help you to close one chapter of your life so you can move on to the next.

What is it time to finally close the chapter on? What do you need to allow yourself to grieve over? Share it here.