Decision Making During Grief

I don’t have a psychology degree nor have I studied grief. However, I have experienced grief in two areas – my divorce, and the death of my father. I also work with women going through a divorce or settling the estate of loved ones so I see if often. This blog is not about the cycles of grief or how to get through it. Everyone grieves differently and on their own timeline but almost everyone will have some sort of decision impairment or fatigue from grief.

It is part of the process when grieving to have “brain fog”. This state of mind might make it harder to process complex information, consider long-term consequences, and make rational choices without being impacted by emotional influences. There are so many decisions to make during and after a divorce and while settling the estate of a loved one. You often hear “don’t make big decisions during the first year of your grief” such as buying or selling a house or changing a trusted advisor just because someone told you to. Give yourself some space and grace during this time and while some tasks need to be completed asap don’t forget to take a step back and ask for help when making decisions. One can be very vulnerable to outside forces when you are not at full functioning capacity. Run your decision by a trusted friend or advisor before you make long-term decisions. Be a little suspect of “too good to be true” promises during this time. Stick to your gut feelings and don’t give up just to get through.

No one is their “best self” during grief. It’s okay, its normal and whoever you are working with during this time should acknowledge and help you. Take a breath, get through the hard stuff and then reassess when your mind is clearer. If you are going through a divorce or have lost a loved one, I can help you prioritize tasks, break decisions down into smaller steps, help you understand what you need to know, and be an accountability partner all while being a sympathetic advocate you can bounce decisions off of.