When Life Falls Apart: And We Still Have to Show Up: Navigating Grief While Job Searching

Life doesn’t pause, even when it feels like yours just did.

In the midst of tragedy, heartbreak, or deep emotional pain, the world keeps moving. Emails still come in. Interviews still get scheduled. Rent is still due. And somehow, we still have to show up.

This past week, my life was cracked open by sudden trauma and the loss of my beloved dog, a kind of grief I never could have prepared for. And yet, in the same breath, I’ve had to continue applying for jobs. Following up with recruiters. Putting my best foot forward when my heart has felt like it’s somewhere else entirely. Showing up for scheduled interviews when I’m barely functioning.

But I know I’m not the only one.

So many of us are carrying invisible weight.

We’re grieving loved ones. We’re facing health scares. We’re navigating grief while job searching in the form of death, breakups, financial struggles, caregiving, depression, and more.

And still, we show up in life. We respond to recruiters. We show up for interviews. We try so hard to keep pressing on, to act like everything’s fine, even when our life feels like it’s falling apart.

Because we have to.

Not because we’re superheroes. But because life doesn't stop just because our life is in shambles.

This blog isn’t about strength in the traditional sense.

It’s about the quiet kind, the kind that doesn’t always look impressive on the outside.

It’s brushing your teeth when you don’t want to get out of bed.

It’s clicking “Join Meeting” through a lump in your throat and your anxiety is through the roof.

It’s responding to that recruiter even when your heart feels numb.

That’s not bragging. That’s survival.

That’s human.

And if you’re in this place too, I just want you to know: you’re not alone.

I see you. I am you.

We don’t always get the luxury of healing on pause. Sometimes we have to heal while still moving forward.

What I Hope More Workplaces Understand

Grief and trauma don’t wear name tags. You won’t always know when someone’s going through something. That’s why empathy isn’t optional, it’s foundational.

I’m learning that emotional resilience doesn’t mean pretending to be okay. It means allowing ourselves to be human, and still finding a way to participate in life. To rest when we can. To grieve without judgement that your not doing enough. To reach out when we need to. To lead with compassion, for ourselves and others.

Final Thought

If you’re barely holding it together and still trying your best to keep going, that’s not weakness. That’s incredible courage.

We don't need applause for getting through the hard stuff. But we do need more spaces where we don’t have to pretend we’re not.

To everyone out there showing up while your world feels like it’s falling apart, I see you. I commend you. You are not alone.