7 Modern Grief Resources to Help You Cope With Loss
Ebony-Renee Baker
If you’re reading this, odds are you know how to find end-of-life resources – you got here somehow, right? But apart from dealing with the physical loss of a loved one, there are tons of resources to help you manage the emotional toll too. From books, to Instagram spaces, to TikToks (yes, there is a grieftok), here are eight modern resources that have helped me through my own grief as a young person, and just might help you too.
For tongue-in-cheek and unfiltered realness
TikTok really is the future of digital community-building, whether you’ve been in the loop for years or are late to the party (like me).
On the platform, there’s a space for every kind of niche, including the very popular hashtags #griefandloss and #grief. Here you’ll find creators sharing their unspoken truths about losing a loved one, making light of their grief and even sharing their personal, raw emotions. These videos can inspire and validate and even motivate you to share your POV too.
For the all-encompassing, non-cheesy guidebook
Whether you’ve lost a loved one, gone through a loss like a breakup or career-end, or simply want to empathize with someone you care about, It’s Your Loss by Emma Hopkinson and Robyn Donaldson is a must-read. This book has helped me understand the ways that the trauma of losing my dad has shaped me in every aspect of my life – and offers the rare freedom of forgiveness. It’s especially relevant if you have a dead parent, as both authors share their stories of parental loss.
For an interactive grief community
Based out of Hamilton, Ontario, Emerging Grief was founded to help real people dealing with all kinds of grief, including death from COVID-19 and death of a parent – two experiences that founder Annie Horton has endured. The group’s outreach ranges from text support, to panel chats, to community member spotlights.
For a sweet celebration of grief
If you haven’t yet, you’ve got to watch this viral Stephen Colbert interview featuring actor Andrew Garfield. Around the four-minute mark, the star opens up about the loss of his mother, referring to his grief as “all of the unexpressed love that I didn’t get to tell her.” Cue the tears and the revelations because, wow, what a simple truth!
For cute, relatable comics
Grief Kid is a heartwarming cartoon series that illustrates all the gut-wrenching, mundane and even hilarious ways grief affects us on a daily basis. The founder is a 29-year-old illustrator who lost both her mother and brother from cancer. I personally love Grief Kid’s “Is that a grief thing?” series – it helps me feel seen every time.
For those moments you want a big cry
The Farewell, starring Awkafina is a comedy-slash-drama about the death of a matriarch in a Chinese-American family – and it’s absolutely brilliant. If you’ve experienced a family death or anticipatory grief, prepare for this film to take you back to the intense moments where days turned into months and weeks into years. For me, this film was both painful and therapeutic at the same time.
For young people experiencing grief and/or sibling loss
“I know what it’s like to be afraid of your own mind,” one post from the Grief Space reads. Founded by Charis Patel, who lost her younger brother when he was just 20 years old, the Grief Space is an Instagram community for grievers and provides relatable content specifically surrounding young grief and sibling loss. Other topics covered include Brown grief, guilt and the loss of a friend.
Ebony-Renee Baker is a Canadian writer and content creator based in the UK. She writes about topics including lifestyle, fashion, race, social issues and, yes, sometimes death.
