Grief Support Resources

What is grief?

• It is a natural human reaction and looks different for everyone.
• There is no “correct” experience, response, or timeline for processing grief.
• Grief may have emotional, academic, physical, and/or social impacts.
• Are you or someone you know in crisis? Call Campus Safety at 315-859-4000.

Hamilton Crisis Response

I’m Grieving

What Grief Can Feel and Look Like

Grief can affect your emotions, thoughts, body, and daily life. There is no single way to grieve, and your experience may change from day to day.

• Difficulty concentrating: You may find it harder to focus, remember things, make decisions, or complete tasks that normally feel manageable.
• Exhaustion: Grief can be physically and emotionally tiring, even when you’re getting your usual amount of rest.
• Numbness: You may feel disconnected, emotionally flat, or surprised that you aren’t feeling what you expected to feel.
• Anxiety: Loss can bring worry, fear, restlessness, or a heightened sense of uncertainty.
• Anger: You may feel angry at the circumstances, other people, yourself, the person who died, or seemingly unrelated things.
• Isolation: You may feel alone in your experience or find yourself pulling away from other people.
• Relief: Depending on the circumstances of a loss, relief can be a natural part of grief and can exist alongside sadness, love, or other emotions.
• Confusion: It can be difficult to make sense of what happened, how you’re feeling, or how life continues after a loss.
• Disrupted routines: Sleeping, eating, studying, working, exercising, and other everyday habits may change while you’re grieving.

Caring for Yourself While Grieving

Small, basic forms of care can be especially important when grief makes everyday life more difficult. You don’t need to do all of these; consider what feels manageable and useful to you right now.

• Routines: Familiar routines can provide some structure and steadiness when other parts of life feel disrupted.
• Sleep: Grief can affect both the amount and quality of your sleep, so give yourself permission to rest when you can and adjust your usual expectations.
• Food: Eating regularly and staying hydrated can be difficult when you’re grieving; focus on nourishing yourself in whatever ways feel manageable.
• Movement: Gentle movement — a walk, stretching, exercise, or simply spending time outside — can provide an outlet for some of the physical and emotional effects of grief.
• Asking for help: You don’t have to handle everything on your own; consider letting others know what would be useful, whether that’s company, a meal, help with a task, or someone to listen.
• Reducing isolation: Grief can make you want to withdraw, but staying connected to people you trust — even without talking about your loss — can help you feel less alone.

How I Can Support a Friend

You don’t need to know exactly what to say or how to make things better. Often, the most helpful thing you can do is show up, listen, and continue to be there over time.

Ways to support someone who is grieving:

• Listen: Give your friend space to talk about their grief without trying to fix it or find the right response.
• Keep checking in: Support can fade after the first days or weeks, so continue reaching out — even if your friend doesn’t always respond.
• Say the person’s name: Don’t be afraid to talk about the person who died or invite your friend to share memories of them.
• Offer specific help: Instead of saying “Let me know if you need anything,” offer something concrete, such as bringing a meal, walking to class together, or helping with an everyday task.
• Follow their lead: Everyone grieves differently. Avoid expectations about how someone should feel, what they should do, or when they should “move on.”

When to encourage additional support:

You may notice changes that make you concerned about how your friend is coping. Encourage them to connect with a Community Advisor (CA), the Counseling Center, a trusted professor or staff member, or another source of support if you notice:

• Significant changes in behavior: Your friend seems markedly different from their usual self or you notice changes that concern you.
• Increasing isolation: Your friend is withdrawing from others or activities in ways that make you concerned about their well-being.
• Difficulty with daily life: Grief is significantly interfering with their ability to care for themselves, attend class, complete everyday tasks, or stay connected with others.
• Concerns about their safety: Your friend says or does something that makes you concerned they may be in immediate danger or unable to keep themselves safe.

Additional Resources

• Information on Leave of Absence
• Hamilton Crisis Response

For Faculty/Staff

In addition to the Grief Support Network, Hamilton also offers the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), a confidential resource at no cost.Provided by BRiDGES Employee Assistance Program, the EAP is designed to assist in addressing personal challenges, including grief and loss.

What to Expect After a Death in the Community

When a current student, faculty member, or staff member passes away, the College works to ensure the individual’s family or loved ones have been notified before communicating with the campus community. The College typically then shares the news in a message from the president that honors the individual’s connection to Hamilton and provides information about resources available to those who may be grieving or affected by the loss. Depending on the circumstances, the College may also share information about opportunities for the community to gather, remember, and support one another.