Title: This Is How Your Brain Reacts To Losing A Loved One
Headings: This Is How Your Brain Reacts To Losing A Loved One
This Is How Your Brain Reacts To Losing A Loved One
Grief can be healthy—but it changes your brain, too. These steps ensure a strong recovery.

Content: Three finance professors from major business schools tracked the performance of 75,000 Danish companies in the 2 years before and after the CEO had experienced a family death. Financial performance declined 20% after the loss of a child, 15% after the death of a spouse, and almost 10% after the demise of any other family member. Indeed, when brain imaging studies are done on people who are grieving, increased activity is seen along a broad network of neurons. These link areas associated not only with mood but also with memory, perception, conceptualization, and even the regulation of the heart, the digestive system, and other organs. This shows the pervasive impact loss or even disappointment can have. And the more we dwell on negative thoughts, the more developed these neural pathways become. The result can be chronic preoccupation, sadness, or even depression. Illustration by Shout
So how can we learn to deal with loss, disappointment, and everyday setbacks more constructively? Keep in mind these coping strategies for grief, which are working for me: Be on the alert for "intruders."