Grief Isn’t Linear—And Neither Is Healing

 

Grief Isn’t Linear—And Neither Is Healing

(and that’s okay)

Grief is weird.

It doesn’t follow a straight line.
It doesn’t stick to a schedule.
And it definitely doesn’t care if you’ve got work in the morning.

Some days, you’re totally fine—laughing, focused, maybe even a little light.
And then out of nowhere…
A smell, a song, a random memory—bam. It all hits again.

You feel like you’re back at square one. Like you haven’t healed at all.

But here’s the truth I keep coming back to:

Grief isn’t something you “get over.” It’s something you learn to carry.

Mindfulness doesn’t fix grief.

But it helps you stay present in it—without running from it, rushing it, or pretending it’s not there.

It’s sitting with the ache, even if your instinct is to distract or numb or scroll it away.

It’s whispering:

“I miss them. This hurts. And I can survive this moment.”

Sometimes, mindfulness means letting yourself cry without having to explain it.
Or staring out the window for 15 minutes and calling that progress.

A few things I try when grief hits hard:

• Put my hand on my chest and just breathe. Feel that I’m here, still alive, still loving.

• Say their name out loud. Even if I cry. Especially if I cry.

• Let the wave pass without judging it. Just like the tide—it comes, it crashes, it recedes.

It’s not linear. It’s not clean.
But every time I let myself feel it—really feel it—I move a little more gently through the day.