When Grief Shows Up in Your Workday: An Unexpected Contributor to Procrastination

Grief hits like a wave and a ton of bricks—at the same time.

One minute you’re answering emails, you get some bad news and you feel a sudden urge to call someone who passed away years ago.

"How is this still happening?" you might wonder.

It’s actually pretty simple. A wise friend once told me, “Grief is just the other side of love.” If you loved deeply, the grief might run just as deep—and just as long.

I'm not sure grief ever really goes away.
But would you want it to?

You’re never done loving someone, so why should you be done grieving them?

What if, instead of trying to “get over it,” you honored your grief when it shows up? Treated it like the important visitor that it is. Not by shoving it down, distracting yourself with a to-do list, or trying to outwork the ache—but by noticing where it lives in your body, breathing into it, and allowing it to pass through.

Because emotions do pass. Always.

It might feel like if you let yourself go there, you’ll never come out. But the truth is: the more you let it move through you, the less power it holds over you. You might even be surprised at how quickly it lifts when you stop resisting.

And here’s where this ties into the projects you’ve been putting off.

Sometimes, the reason you're stuck isn't about discipline or poor time management—it’s emotional. You’re not lazy. You’re not unfocused. You're just full of unprocessed energy—grief, fear, uncertainty, even love—that needs a moment of your attention.

So next time you’re staring down a half-finished project, ask yourself:

What might I be carrying right now that needs to be felt, not fixed?

Let it pass, and then—only then—take your next small step forward.

Grief is just love with no place to go.
Let it have a place. Even just for a minute.