Read what actions helped support grieving individuals during times of anguish

Grieving is a process—no need to rush social activities or major life decisions, if possible

Individuals experiencing grief may find comfort through counseling, online support groups, support books, and activities like volunteering. Each of these resources can help individuals build a community or new daily patterns when navigating intense anguish.

Sheryl Sandberg's top things to avoid saying to someone who is grieving

Sandberg states seemingly innocuous questions like "How are you?" can feel fraught for someone who is grieving—so swapping in "How are you today?" can be a more considerate alternative. She discusses how avoiding mentioning the name of the loved one or offering platitudes like "you will get through this" can miss the mark, and that acknowledgement and telling people they aren't alone can be more affirming.

USA Today asked readers about their grief—and received more than 700 responses

The submissions included one moving story of two women whose sons died by drug overdose. The duo wrote that they found each other in a support group and decided to navigate their respective difficult situations by starting a podcast together called "Two Moms with Two Dead Kids," which focused on what life was like in the years following the deaths of their children.

Grief cannot be rushed through—it's a process and support groups can help

Finding your way after the death of a spouse can be aided by attending a regular and consistent grief group. The people attending those gatherings are uniquely poised to understand what you may be experiencing.

Heart attack risk jumps to 21 times its norm on the day of a loved one's death

Research published in 2012 suggests that the intense emotional burden of suffering a loved one's death can escalate heart rate, blood pressure, and clot risks—culminating in elevated heart attack risk. The increased heart attack risk remains after that first day, remaining eight times above normal during the first week, and then dropping down over the course of a month. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

Social worker tips on how to support someone grieving miscarriage or infant loss

As many as 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. Annually in the US, 21,000 babies are born stillborn, with roughly the same number of babies dying before their first birthday. Grief for these individuals and families may be a lifelong process and there is no correct way for the person to grieve but actions that acknowledge the loss and allow them to discuss it—including asking the name of the child they lost—can be comforting.

An online presence provides a means of grieving and honoring individuals after death

Shifting perspectives toward the increasing importance of digital profiles of the dead have made anticipatory management of one's digital legacy more critical. Experts suggest choosing a tech-savvy relative—such as a cousin—over a spouse to reduce confusion about what to preserve or discard, as well as how to access password-protected content.

AI griefbots that generate text or even video avatars of the dead are controversial and could conceivably change how we mourn.

They lost loved ones on 9/11. Hear the heart-wrenching voicemails they'd leave for them.

NPR set up an old phone booth in Brooklyn Bridge Park — across the river from the new World Trade Center — and invited people to leave a voicemail for someone they lost that day.

Some bereavement support groups prohibit dating other members

This in-depth podcast covers many aspects of grieving and support. One aspect it discusses is that people may naturally feel a connection with others who are going through similar experiences and may want to build community that way, including pursuing romantic relationships. Such liaisons may be off-putting to some participants and that's why some groups prohibit dating other support group members.

Emotional relationships with God affect grief

A study published in 2020 examined how internal, emotional relationships with God—rather than external characteristics of one's religiosity like weekly workshop attendance or attire—affected grief and adjustment among bereaved parents.

Extreme grief elevates cardiovascular risk and lowers immune system function

A 2014 analysis of cardiovascular risk and bereavement after a lost partner found that grief elevates the risk of stroke and heart attack for the 30 days following death of a partner and the risk then attenuates after that.

The children of parents who died on 9/11 share their stories in remembrance

Many children of 9/11 victims were too young to remember their parents who died. They’ve grown up living with the tension between having a personal connection to the day but few, if any memories. Read some of their stories.

The five stages of grief—and what to do when yours doesn't follow this model

The "five stages of grief" is a well-established process used by many to move through periods of mourning. Grief is notoriously difficult to manage, and such procedures help move people forward. Only, what happens if your experience doesn't match the model at all? This podcast episode explores one researcher's unique approach to processing her own grief.

Support groups offer support, safety, and the relief of common experience

Gathering—virtually or otherwise—with people going through a similar experience or navigating the same disease can make someone feel like they're part of a larger community. Participants can receive and offer support, and potentially learn tips that could improve their quality of life or lead them to other resources.

Ghost stories can help us process death

Scholar Coya Paz’s research into ghost stories indicated that people often use them to grieve and remember tragic histories. Paz notes that specters in stories almost always demand to be acknowledged. She also shares the three most common types of ghosts we hear about are either vengeful, unwelcoming, or comforting.

An 87-year-old widower goes viral for hand-delivering party invitations door to door that read "4 pm until the cops arrive"

A man knocked on his neighbor's door to offer a paper invitation to a winter-themed party he was throwing. "My wife is gone now, so it gives me something to keep me busy," he later explained. "I'm going to get these people in one room, and maybe they'll get to know each other." The viral experience has since brought him fan mail and party treats.

Families of true crime victims deal with added pain when their stories are publicized

True crime enthusiasts have never asked Annie Nichol to consent to public recountings of her sister's murder. For decades, Nichol has been inundated with gruesome dramatizations of one of life's greatest losses by people who profit from such productions. She has, however, been asked to share memories of her sister, though such memories "are all that I have left of her that haven't been exploited for public consumption."

Helping support others in older age linked to longer life

Analysis of findings from a long-term study of older couples first interviewed in 1987 and then followed for the next five years found that individuals who lend support to friends, neighbors, and relatives live longer. Non-helpers were more than twice as likely to die as helpers during the five-year period. That's even after controlling for factors including age, gender, and physical and mental health.

Fifty-two acts of kindness for each week of 2023

Whether fostering kittens, donating blood, or delivering boxes of biscuits to striking workers, there has never been a better time to help out. Here's a kindness suggestion for each week of 2023.

Listen to storytellers explain the legacy of memories shared between children and their mothers

In this podcast, people describe the strength of certain memories, what events stay with them, and when and why grief washes over them. One describes the challenging task of selling her mother's cemetery plots; another, keeping a promise to her son to learn to swim; and in the third, a son discusses the strength of familiar food smells.

After a dementia diagnosis, it's important to plan ahead but also savor the moment

The next steps after a diagnosis include taking lifestyle steps to slow disease progression and completing legal paperwork about long-term medical preferences. It's also important to appreciate the moments and days ahead and find humor in them, when possible. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

Grief is defined as the anguish and physiological distress experienced after significant loss

It usually occurs following the death of a loved one, and symptoms may include confusion, apprehension about the future, separation anxiety, and ruminating on the past.

An archive of anonymous messages people wrote but never sent

The site invites users to submit unsent letters to people, pets, or moments, which are then published anonymously for strangers to read. Every post is moderated, and the design of the site—no likes or replies, just words—feels polished and somber.

Alcohol often accompanies memorial ceremonies around the world

“Pouring one out” for the dead is something that exists across the globe, in various cultures and forms. From the Irish wake to the Korean Sangnye, alcohol is frequently used as a way to honor the deceased and comfort the living.

Grieving primate mothers will carry dead infant for long after death—and others will comfort her

An examination of infant corpse carrying practices among non-human primate mothers found that 40 species of primate mothers will carry around their dead infant for days, weeks, or even months. In some cases, a grieving primate's group members would provide grieving support—hugging or staying close to mothers who experienced a loss.

Afterlife traditions help some humans process death

Watch this video discussing concepts of the afterlife presented through an anthropological lens about one family's experience and traditions passed down from one generation to another.

'Donation after circulatory death' is on the rise

This occurs when a patient in a coma is on life support and family members agree to donate the organs. Watch this video about a 2025 New York Times investigation that identified 12 instances across nine states of bungled or premature attempts to retrieve organs from people whose families had authorized withdrawal of life support.

Cultural norms about how to handle the bodies of loved ones have hampered Ebola responses in West Africa.

In China, deepfaking a dead loved one has become a growing industry

Digital replicas of the deceased provide individuals with another way to process grief in a culture with long-standing traditions of communicating with ancestors. The emotional and ethical implications of "digital immortality" are complicated further by cases of actors impersonating deceased relatives during deepfake video calls to hide their deaths.

Key tips for helping the depressed—including listening without judgment

Major depressive disorder is a clinical diagnosis and is not a lifestyle choice. Those who struggle with depression can express persistent feelings that are difficult to process and make sense of for friends and family. This guide walks through some counterintuitive perspectives, including resisting the urge to force a depressed person to do the things that would make them feel better.

These 20,000 letters to an advice columnist provide some insights into US anxieties and concerns.

Explore this animated story about loneliness that situates modern statistics about isolation.

The tradition of the graveyard picnic

This article from Eater shares a fresh perspective on eating amongst the dead. Writer Tiffany Leigh shares the cultural significance of picnicking in cemeteries during the Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, which is celebrated in Chinese culture. Her article explains how Qingming can be a tender and lighthearted event to remember the deceased and how that can differ from modern American attitudes toward death and cemeteries.

Read Ray Dalio's reflection on his son's death

One of Dalio's sons, Devon Dalio, died in a car crash in December 2020. In a LinkedIn post, Dalio said Devon's death triggered an enormous amount of pain and reflection.

Anticipatory grief describes experiencing sorrow ahead of a loss

All-consuming anticipatory grief—like if you know a loved one will soon die from a chronic illness—can be disabling. Seeking exercise, healthy food, hobbies, and trying to toggle between thinking about an upcoming loss and focusing on other matters is important for promoting health.

What 9/11 did to one family: the heartbreaking story of Bobby McIlvaine

Grief, conspiracy theories, and a family's search for meaning in the two decades since the attacks. On Sept. 11, 2001, Bobby McIlvaine was killed, along with nearly 3,000 other Americans. In the years since, his parents and brother have searched for...

'Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead.'

Meyer Wolfsheim in F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby"

Grief rewires the human brain

The human brain handles stress and emotional traumas similarly. In response to the emotional stress of a situation like the death of a loved one, divorce, or abuse, the brain may strengthen or weaken connections between nerves to form new neural connections. Over time, chronic stress can diminish brainpower, reducing overall nerve growth and memory to shift resources to enable elevated fear responses and enable humans to survive.

'Bibliotherapy' is of increasing interest as a way to improve mental health and help navigate complex life situations—with people immersing themselves in the experiences of fictional characters or nonfiction and self-help books to find relief and gain personal insights.

Support groups can offer insights into current and potential treatments

Beyond connecting with patients with similar experiences, support groups can also become centers for advocacy and for sharing research advances and medical experiences, including potential side effects from novel therapies or clinical trials.

Nostalgia is a psychological coping mechanism that can help combat loneliness—but it's created from bias

Researchers have observed that though nostalgia can help counteract feelings of loneliness, our memories of the past are somewhat rose colored. Negative emotions seem to fade faster than positive ones, a phenomenon that they suggest may be a psychological coping mechanism so that memories don't hurt every time they're recalled. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Ten writers and thinkers on what growing older actually requires of us

The Marginalian's Maria Popova curates a collection arguing our culture has learned to dread aging while forgetting it is a privilege, and that the antidote is sustaining passions strong enough to keep us from turning inward. Voices include Simone de Beauvoir, Joan Didion, Pablo Casals, and Kahlil Gibran.

Research advances suggest death takes much longer than we realized

Recent research indicates that organs, including the brain, are better at handling a lack of oxygen after the heart stops beating than previously known. Such findings may open up possibilities that include someday reversing certain death processes and expanding the availability of organs available for organ donations. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Infertility is often not discussed, forcing women and families to grieve privately

Watch this podcast discussion from Weill Cornell Medicine about the emotional journey of infertility for couples and individuals and hear advice about how to navigate the feelings of loss of control, grief, anger, and despair, including suggested tips for supporting individuals struggling with infertility.

Visualizing where happiness comes from

Researchers asked 10,000 participants to list 10 things that recently made them happy. One author broke down the responses into subject-verb-object categories, isolating the people and events that made responders satisfied. The result highlights how simple things like having dinner or watching a movie made someone happy. Dive in and look for some ideas or tips on feeling happy today with this fascinating visualization.

Stranger pays for a family's breakfast tab and writes heartfelt note praising the father of three kids

In Fort Worth, Texas, an Emergency Room doctor wearing scrubs was enjoying a meal with his wife and three children. While getting ready to pay, the family learned that their $85 bill had already been settled, with a kind note left behind. The message was signed by "a retired Army Medic" who thanks the man for being a good father.

What ghosts eat around the world

This Thrillist article compiles a rich assortment of cultural beliefs and practices surrounding food for the dead. From Bengali folklore to Ancient Greek mythology, peruse through the different ways in which cultures around the world use food to maintain connected to the deceased.

Ofrendas are memorial altars constructed to honor deceased loved ones

Each element of the altar is meaningful. There is food and drink to nourish the spirits on their journey, candles to light their way, and incense to protect against evil spirits, among other things.

Top strategies on how to deal with other people's big feelings

This podcast offers insights on how to effectively talk to others when they're experiencing powerful emotions, and how to simultaneously protect yourself in those situations.