Understanding Collective Grief and Reconnecting to a Sense of Purpose

Understanding collective grief and reconnecting to a sense of purpose explores the increasingly pervasive feelings of aimlessness and low motivation and what you can do about it. We are living through a time of ongoing crisis in a society that fails to recognize and allow room for the wide-ranging impact of grief when it’s personal, let alone when it’s collective. When you’re not directly impacted by the crises (yet), it’s understandable to be confused at the energetic drain you’re experiencing. This episode unpacks how collective grief quietly shapes your brain and pulls at your energy, especially when we layer on stories of personal failing or laziness. Listen if you want language, context, and gentle tools to help you feel more understood and more connected to a sense of purposefulness in everyday life. Some of what I talk about in this episode includes:The “lazy” story we tell ourselves that keeps us stuck and ashamedHow grief and chronic stress impact the body, brain, and motivationSupportive ways to engage with stress, vicarious trauma, and collective griefPurposeful living and meaning-making as ways to feel reconnected and less aloneHave thoughts or questions about this episode? Share them with me!Send me a voice memo: https://www.speakpipe.com/MindsetUnlimited LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:National Library of Medicine: Collective Trauma and the Social Construction of MeaningNational Health Care for the Homeless Council: Confronting Collective and Cumulative Grief as Institutional ResponsibilityAmerican Brain Foundation: Healing Your Brain After Loss NPR: How Your Brain Copes with GriefPriya Parker - How to Hold Collective Grief Renegade Grief: A Guide to the Wild Ride of Life After Loss Being A Quaker: A guide for newcomers  CONNECT WITH VALERIE:Schedule an exploration callAsk Valerie (anonymous form)Sign up for Valerie’s newsletterApply to be coached on the podcast This podcast was produced by Valerie Friedlander CoachingProud member of the Feminist Podcasters CollectiveSend us Fan MailSupport the show