National Grief Awareness Day is observed on August 30th every year and is designed to raise awareness about the grieving process and the time it takes for a person to heal from a tragic loss. It’s a day when people can reach out to someone experiencing grief or just take the time to learn more about the grieving process. Grief is an emotion that affects us all at one point or another, making this an important day for people to help those in need.

The History of National Grief Awareness Day

National Grief Awareness Day was originally started in 2014 by Angie Cartwright. As someone who suffered through a great loss, she decided to dedicate herself to bringing support to people who have suffered from grief and to educate families about the realities of grief and how it affects people’s lives.

Important Facts About Grief

During our research for this holiday, we’ve come across some facts about grief that we think everyone should know. So we decided to go ahead and share some of these facts with everyone reading today.

Recovering From Grief Doesn’t Occur on a Timetable

One of the most important things for people to realize is that there’s no specific timeframe in which a person can recover from grief. Some people seem to recover from grief relatively quickly, while others take longer to heal. What people need to realize is that they need to give grieving individuals the support and space they need to navigate through their grief.

Grieving Is Universal

Grieving is something that everyone in the world will go through during their life. However, each person who grieves will do so in their own unique way. Everyone processes loss in their own way.

Grieving People Often Suffer Guilt

People who are grieving often suffer from guilt as well. They may feel that they are responsible for their loved one’s death. This can complicate the grieving process for them and make it harder to recover from the loss.

Grieving People Can Often Lose Their Sense of Direction

Grief is a powerful emotion that can leave people feeling lost or without a sense of purpose or direction. These are all normal aspects of the grieving process.

Observing National Grief Awareness Day

Those looking to observe National Grief Awareness Day can do so by learning more about the grieving process and by helping those around them who are dealing with grief. You can also use the hashtag #NationalGriefAwarenessDay on social media to spread the word about this holiday.