Hi everyone! I’m Natasha, and I am a new part-time Research Assistant here at the Ruvvy Resilience Lab!  

As spring continues, we also move into holidays like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. For some people, these days feel joyful and comforting. But for others, they can bring up grief, stress, loneliness, and other complicated emotions.  

For young adults, especially, these feelings can be difficult to navigate. Losing a parent, caregiver, family member, or important relationship can make holidays feel heavy in ways that are not visible to others.  

Grief Affects the Brain and Body 

Grief is not only emotional, but also biological. Research shows that loss can affect brain systems involved in emotion, memory, attachment, and stress. This is part of why grief can sometimes feel overwhelming, exhausting or hard to explain.  

You may notice things like: 

• Difficulty concentrating  

• Feeling emotionally “numb” or overwhelmed  

• Changes in sleep and energy  

• Feeling distracted or mentally exhausted  

According to The Grieving Brain by Mary-Frances O’Connor, the brain is essentially learning to adjust to a new reality after losing someone important. That process takes time, and it does not always happen in a straightforward way.

Resilience Does Not Mean “Getting Over It”  

People often talk about resilience as “bouncing back”, but grief usually does not work that way. There is no timeline for when someone should feel “normal” again.  

Sometimes resilience looks much smaller and quieter, like:  

• Getting through the school day  

• Reaching out to a friend  

• Asking for support  

• Allowing yourself to feel emotions instead of hiding them  

• Continuing forward one day at a time  

Everyone experiences grief differently, and there is no “correct” way to cope.

What Can Help?  

Every small acts of support can make a difference. Checking in on friends, listening without judgement, and creating space for honest emotions can help people feel less alone.  

Grief can change over time, but that does not mean love or connection disappears. Often, healing is not about forgetting, it is about learning how to move forward while still carrying those experiences with us. 

The Greenhouse of the Mind:

Resources to Help You Bloom

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