With the recent events lately, it is so very hard not to feel grief or some similar emotion. We’re being inundated by the news; if we are not seeing it on the television, we’re reading about it all over social media. All this made me realize something: we all grieve differently and there is no right or wrong way. Some people grieve in silence and some grieve with an outpouring of emotion (verbally or non-verbally). Since the recent event in Orlando, emotions have been high. Not just in the LGBTQ community but all communities.

There are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance (although you do not have to go through each one of these stages). Given the weight of the recent news, how does one cope?

Here’s what I have learned over the years:

1. Grieving is a natural thing and you should not be ashamed of it.
2. There is no specific timetable to how long you should grieve.
3. Do not let others tell you how to grieve.
4. Face your feelings. Ignoring or suppressing your pain will not make it to go away faster.
5. Respect others who grieve differently than you.
6. It’s fine to ask for support or professional help during your grieving process.
7. It’s okay to disconnect from social media during your grieving process.
8. Journaling is a good way to deal with raging emotions.
9. Meditate and/or pray about what you’re feeling. It will alleviate your pain more than you may realize.

Please remember there is no right or wrong way to grieve. The goal is to come to grips with the situation or loss so that you can move on in a healthy way.