Changing the Conversation Around Loss: Our Role in Dying Matters Awareness Week

We are reminded that how we treat grief reflects the kind of society we are building

This week marks Dying Matters Awareness Week, an important time in the calendar for starting conversations that too often remain unspoken. At the heart of the campaign is a simple but powerful message: how we talk about dying, death, and grief shapes the way we live. Yet for many, the subject still feels distant, uncomfortable, or too heavy to approach.

So, how can each of us help to shift the way we respond to loss?

The answer begins with presence. Not grand gestures, not polished words—just the willingness to be present with someone in pain, without trying to fix them. Too often, people experiencing grief are met with silence, awkwardness or well-meaning but dismissive phrases.

This can deepen isolation at a time when connection is most needed. Small changes in how we relate to loss—such as allowing space for someone to speak without rushing to reassure them—can make a profound difference.

Cultural discomfort with death often leaves people unsure of what to say or do. But pretending grief doesn't exist doesn’t make it go away. On the contrary, ignoring the reality of loss can compound it, creating barriers to healing.

If we can shift from avoidance to acknowledgment, we begin to create communities where grief is not treated as a personal failure or something to hide, but as a human experience that deserves care.

This shift is not only for those currently grieving. It’s about all of us. We may not all be professionals, but we can all be compassionate witnesses. We can ask how someone is feeling—really feeling—and listen without judgement. We can tell the truth when we don’t have answers and show up even when it feels uncomfortable.

The Dying Matters Awareness Week Legacy

During Dying Matters Awareness Week, we are reminded that how we treat grief reflects the kind of society we are building. Do we push away discomfort, or do we lean in with empathy? Do we see loss as a problem to be solved, or as a reality to be lived with and supported?

These are not rhetorical questions. They point to real choices in everyday interactions—with colleagues, neighbours, friends, and even strangers.

At Grief Specialists, we believe that change begins with conversation, but doesn’t end there. It extends into how we educate ourselves, how we show up for others, and how we make space for grief in public and private life. This week is a call to awareness, but also to action.

Not dramatic or performative action—but the quiet, consistent kind that tells someone they are not alone.

Let’s change the way we respond to loss—together, one real conversation at a time. And if you’re lost for words, we have a Guide to Supporting and Talking to Others About Grief that might help you with what to say.