Belonging is a feeling of being happy, comfortable and feeling authentic while being a part of a particular group. It is a feeling that you are welcomed and accepted by the group members. Having a sense that you belong is a fundamental need of being a human being.

It is essential for leaders to understand it and work towards creating a culture of belonging in order to create a space where people want to stay and participate.

To connect to me visit my website at www.vopheliarigault.com

As a leader, you need to have a ROADMAP to manage grief when it comes to the workplace. Because it will. In this episode, I share tips on how you can support and lead your people through grief. 

Support this podcast by liking, sharing and leaving a positive comment.  

Grief is an emotional response to any kind of loss. This loss could be a loss of a loved one, a job, your health, a relationship, a pet, your home, a dream, etc.

The total annual cost of employee grief is $75-$100 billion annually. When one looks deeper, the costs of grief are often hidden under the statistics. For example, the cost of mental illnesses to the Canadian economy is estimated at over $50 billion annually, with $20 billion of that stemming directly from workplace losses. Grief impacts more than $6 billion in lost productivity from absenteeism and turnover.

For more tips check out my Linkedin article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ten-ways-support-grieving-employee-v-ophelia-rigault?articleId=6370835661099986944

To connect with me visit my website at www.vopheliarigault.com

Do Let Them Hut Yoh Head, is a Trinidadian saying/wisdom that I grew up with, to mean, don't let people stress you to the point that you are feeling emotionally unwell.  

Historical Note: 

The official language of Trinidad and Tobago is English, and the most commonly spoken languages are Trinidadian and Tobagonian Creole English which uses a large number of local words and expressions. Many of these have non-English origins - these derive primarily from French and French Creole, Spanish, various West African languages, and the Indio-Trinidadian Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu), Bengali, Telugu, and Tamil, Trinidadian languages.  

I grew up with my mother telling me when I would get involved in "adult conversations" to "mind my business".  I knew instantly that I was overstepping into an area that did not concern me.  Drink Water and Mind Your Business is a song about focusing your energy on yourself rather than being overly involved in other people's lives. In this episode, I break down the spiritual and physical meaning of this song.

To learn more about my services visit my website at www.vopheliarigault.com

Self-care can be such a buzzword these days - and sometimes gets confused with self-soothing. 

In 1988, the words of the African-American lesbian writer Audre Lorde became a rallying cry: 

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” 

Self-care is necessary in order for us to deal with a world that hates us because of our race, gender, religion or cultural affiliation.

To stay in touch with me visit my website at www.vopheliarigault.com

Ophelia 

Today, we’re taking looking at how Grief is More than Five Stages - it is also about Continuing Bonds

Let's dive in.  

The five stages of grief are ingrained in our cultural consciousness as the natural progression of emotions one experiences after the death of a loved one. However, it turns out the model does not describe most people's experiences, and was never even meant to apply to the bereaved.

If you enjoyed this episode and you’d like to help support the podcast, please share it with others, post about it on social media, or leave a rating and review. To catch all the latest from me, you can follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook at @opheliarigault. 

A child may go from crying one minute to playing the next. It's essential to be developmentally appropriate when supporting them. Throughout the pandemic, millions of children are experiencing grief due to the death of a loved one from COVID-19.

Children are also grieving vicariously from watching their parents experience loss of their businesses, careers, financial security, mental health decline, and generally a sense of normalcy and consistency. There is also a sense of collective grief that is felt globally, and children feel all of this, even if they do not express it outwardly.

Sidney Poitier, Oscar-winning actor and Hollywood's first Black movie star, dies at 94. When I heard this news, instant memories of watching Sidney Poitier's movies with my mother came rushing back.  I remembered her speaking of him with awe and admiration.  In this episode, I reflect on the "Meaning of Sidney Poitier" in my life as a Black woman. 

Learn more about his life at: https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/07/entertainment/sidney-poitier-death/index.html

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4

The above verse has been what has helped me to heal my deep grief. There were many days that I was pissed at my God, but I had a deep-rooted belief that my mother’s grief had to have meaning. If in life she meant so much to me – then in death, I needed to figure out that meaning as well. 

In this episode, I discuss what is REAL Talk and the purpose behind the podcast.