Title : Bounce back, better recognizing hidden grief in the workplace
Abstract:
Grief walks into the workplace every day—often without being recognized as grief. The death of a loved one may be the most visible form of loss, but employees also carry the emotional impact of divorce, caregiving, infertility, illness, relocation, job loss, organizational restructuring, identity shifts, financial uncertainty, and other life transitions. Because many of these losses are not acknowledged through traditional bereavement practices, people are often expected to remain productive while quietly navigating significant emotional and physiological stress. In this interactive 45-minute workshop, Ayurvedic Doctor (A.D.), leading emotional wellbeing expert, and grief coach Sweta Vikram explores how hidden and disenfranchised grief can manifest at work—not only as sadness, but as exhaustion, irritability, difficulty concentrating, disrupted sleep, withdrawal, anxiety, reduced motivation, and changes in performance. Through reflection, discussion, and practical exercises, attendees will learn to recognize less obvious signs of grief, respond with compassion without overstepping professional boundaries, and use simple grounding and Ayurvedic practices to support regulation during periods of loss and transition. Participants will leave with a more expansive understanding of grief, practical tools for navigating its impact, and strategies for helping create workplace cultures where people do not have to hide their humanity in order to be considered professional. Because when grief is recognized rather than silenced, resilience becomes more than simply bouncing back—it becomes an opportunity to move forward differently.
