When grief gets big, you don’t need to fix it. You just need to get through it.
The When Grief Gets Big Workbook is a gentle, guided tool to help you understand your grief waves - and learn how to ride them instead of being pulled under.
The moment this was made for:
You’re doing okay - and then you’re not.
A song comes on. You pass their street. Someone says their name. And suddenly the grief that felt manageable is enormous again, and you don’t know why it’s this big, or how to make it smaller, or if you’re ever going to stop feeling blindsided by it.
You’re not falling apart. You’re not doing grief wrong. You’re experiencing a wave. And waves, even the biggest ones, do eventually pass.
What this workbook is
The When Grief Gets Big Workbook is a self-guided, seven section journal designed for the moments when grief feels overwhelming.
I don’t talk you out of your feelings. I won’t rush you toward “healing.” It will help you understand what’s happening inside you - and give you something gentle to do with it.
You’ll work through:
Noticing Your Waves - Recognizing what big grief actually feels like in your body, your heart, and your mind.
Reframing “Failure” - Releasing the story that you’re doing this wrong (you’re not failing; you’re feeling).
Mapping Your Wave - Understanding what leads up to a grief surge, what happens during it, and what you need after.
Riding the Wave - Building a personal plan for the next time grief gets big - body care, emotional care, and boundaries.
Talking to Yourself Gently - Writing comforting phrases you can actually use in hard moments.
Remembering What Matters - Connecting your grief back to the love underneath it.
Closing Reflection - A gentle promise to yourself for the next wave.
Who this is for:
This workbook is for you if:
Grief has been hitting you in unexpected waves and you want to understand why.
You keep telling yourself you should be over this by now.
You feel like you’re handling it fine until suddenly, you’re not.
You’re grieving a person, a relationship, a role, a season of life - or all of the above.
You want something private, personal, and at your own pace.
You don’t have to be in crisis to use this. You just have to be human.
A note from me:
*
A note from me: *
I created this workbook because I know what it’s like to be caught off guard by grief.
When I lost my grandmother, Faye Zola, I found myself in moments where the loss felt impossibly big - not at the expected times, but in ordinary ones. A certain light. A recipe card. The way a room smelled.
What helped me wasn’t trying to make the grief smaller. It was learning to recognize it, name it, and meet it with a little more kindness instead of panic.
That’s what this workbook is. It’s what I wish someone had handed me.
Molly, Grief and Bereavement Coach, Zola Life Coaching.
What’s inside (preview):
Sample prompts from the workbook:
“Write for 5-10 minutes about a recent time when your grief suddenly felt very big. What happened right before it grew?
“When my grief gets big, it might actually mean___________________________.”
“Write one short promise you’d like to make to yourself for the next time grief gets big. Keep it simple and kind.”
These aren’t trick questions. There are no wrong answers. The workbook just gives you grief somewhere to go.
This is not therapy. It’s something you can do right now.
Therapy or coaching is wonderful - and not always accessible, timely, or the right fit for every moment. This workbook is something you can open today, at your kitchen table, in your car, or a 2 a.m. when you can’t sleep.
It’s a companion for the in-between times. The hard days. The unexpected ones.
Use it once. Use it every time a big wave comes. Come back to any section whenever you need it.
Your grief is not a problem to fix. It’s evidence of love.
This workbook won’t take the grief away. But it will help you feel a little less alone in it. - and a little more capable of getting through it.
23 pages. Self-paced. Private. Yours to keep.
Frequently asked questions:
Do I need to have lost someone recently?
No. Grief doesn’t follow a timeline. This workbook is useful whether your loss is recent or years ago - waves come at any point.
What if I can only do part of it?
That’s completely fine. Work through whatever sections feel right. There’s no correct order and no expectation of completion.
Is this the same as grief therapy?
No - this is a self-guided journaling tool, not a therapeutic service. If you’re navigating a mental health crisis, please reach out to a licensed professional. This workbook is a companion resource, not a substitute for care.
Can I use this if I’m supporting someone who is grieving?
Yes. Working through it yourself can help you understand what the waves feel like from the inside - which often makes you a better support to others.
Not sure where to start?
If you’d like more support than a workbook can offer, I work with grieving adults one-on-one and in small groups. Sessions are available as single conversations or as a part of a longer coaching journey.