Death is an inevitable part of life and the loss of a loved one can be one of the most devastating events that befall an individual during their entire life. Although it is an event that is naturally experienced by almost every human on the planet (some more than others), this unforeseen occurrence is a sensitive and rarely mentioned issue in the community. In the recent months of fighting the COVID-19 global pandemic, the difficulty of coping with this immense loss has gradually surfaced across the entire world and it is an important topic that we should all attempt to address. Grief is a natural response that occurs when an individual loses a person that was valued or love. In the early stages, people often describe it as a feeling of overwhelming sadness and pain, others reported feelings of numbness or detachment from their emotions. These variations in response can often be confusing and complicated to manage. Occasionally, this state can persist over a long period if it is not addressed or handled appropriately. Therefore, in this current piece/article, we would like to address and explore the different ways one can better cope with the grief of losing a loved one. Understanding Grief Firstly, it can be important for one to understand and realise that they are experiencing grief, especially for individuals who are emotionally detached and numb. According to a book published by psychiatrist Kubler Ross, an average individual is theorised to go through five distinct stages of grief. In the first stage known as Denial, the individual is unable to comprehend the sudden loss and therefore believes that the event is unreal and a mistake. Once the individual processes the reality of the situation, they tend to externalise their grief in the forms of frustrations known as the Anger stage. In this stage, one would attempt to justify the loss by pinpointing and criticising others which they perceive are responsible for the events that led up to the death of their loved ones. The following stage would be Bargaining, where the individual who is still unable to accept attempts to negotiate with otherworldly entities or forces in hopes of reversing the death of their loved ones. The fourth stage entails despair, sadness and isolation as the griever realises the finality of the situation known as Depression. Eventually, the individual will reach the stage of Acceptance where they embrace the loss and attain a state of inner peace and relief by coming to terms with the situation. Although the stages mentioned by Kubler Ross gives allows one to better comprehend the process of grief which can be generally helpful, it has been criticised for the lack of applicability across cultures and different individuals. Even Kubler Ross mentioned that the model is not absolute, and it is better to view them as different natural coping strategies employed in the process of grief. A common misconception of experiencing a loss is that one should feel an overwhelming sense of emotions to qualify as grieving. Different individuals take different amounts of time to comprehend the situation, but it does not mean that one is wrong for not feeling certain emotions after a loss. Grief is not an emotion but more of a process and concept that comprises a range of experiences amongst different individuals. A genuinely helpful aspect of Kubler Ross’s model is that it provides a comforting perspective for individuals by acknowledging that the process is not permanent and will eventually come to an end. Remind yourself of the “positives and upsides” to this grief Individuals who are grieving experience various symptoms. One of which is Rumination where people find themselves contemplating over perceived mistakes or missteps associated with the loss and wishing that they could change what they did. This adds to additional stress on top of their emotional toll of grief. Therefore, another tip to coping with the loss is to remind oneself of the “positives and upsides” of this grief. This, however, is not suggesting that the loss of a loved one is in any way a good thing, but rather, while acknowledging this grief, it is possible to look at the positives that can come with the process. A powerful and comforting perspective of looking at grief is the fact that this overwhelming sadness and emotion faced reflects how much love and value one has for the person that was a loss. Not only that, the loss and grief can also mark new chapters in an individual’s life as the pain forces us to change and adapt. For example, a person whom an individual feels entirely reliant on could now be forced to adapt by better taking care of oneself due to the person’s absence in their lives. Do not put a time limit on your grief It is important to understand that there is no such thing as the “correct way to grieve”. As established earlier, everyone grieves differently, therefore, the individual must not put a time limit on their grieving process. Putting a time limit on your grief is equivalent to adding a deadline for yourself and this adds on additional pressure to the current state of mind that you are in. Grief lessens with time, but it is not realistic to feel completely absolved of sadness when thinking of the loss. The only reason that people have difficulty coping with grieve is usually due to a major loss. It makes perfect sense if you experience certain emotions when reminded of it. Instead of eliminating it, accepting this inherent uncertainty, and managing this sadness is probably a healthier and more attainable goal towards this process. Resist comparing your grief In the age of Instagram and online rituals to mourn the deceased, it is easy that we reach out to others and at times, compare our grief to others. We are social creatures who learn from the people around us, so it is only natural that we tend to compare. Therefore, another helpful tip during