Coping with Guilt in Grief: When Joy Feels Wrong

Have you ever caught yourself laughing, smiling, or having a good day after loss—only to feel a wave of guilt wash over you?

Maybe you noticed you weren’t spending every moment thinking about your person, or you sought out distractions from the heaviness of grief.

In my own grief journey, moments of lightness sometimes felt like a betrayal. How could I allow myself to feel joy when my person’s life was cut short?

It is important to know that it is a common experience in grief to feel guilty for not being immersed in sadness all the time.