The book Life After Loss by Bob Diets has been enormously helpful to me on more than one occasion. The book is described as “A Personal Guide Dealing with Death, Divorce, Job Change and Relocation.” It provides a positive, sensitive approach for ‘successful recovery from painful loss, including the death of a loved one or friend, divorce, relocation, job loss, retirement, major surgery or onset of chronic illness.” The book provides useful exercises and charts to assist in working through your grief. It is a roadmap that reassures that we are not alone in our pain, a ‘practical guide to people who have difficulty in finding their way back after profound ordeals.’

The book teaches skills necessary for healthy recovery, to include:

• What to expect in the first few hours, days, weeks after your loss
• How to talk to others who don’t know what to say
• How to get back to sleep when you’re awake all night
• How to cry when you just can’t, and why tears help recovery
• How to write a letter of good-bye
• How to deal with anger, depression and guilt
• How to cope and set new goals
• How to deal with the holidays, anniversaries and family events
• How to form a grief-support group

Change often includes some sort of loss, even if it is ‘just’ a loss of self-identity, of how you pictured yourself. This type of loss is not a ‘just’-it, too, can be a big deal. Stay tuned for more discussion on this later, and feel free to discuss your losses on the Community Forum.

Category: Career · Corporate Employment · Divorce · Environments · Relationships · Relocating