The Kubler-Ross Model of 5 Stages of Grief
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ToggleChange is a crucial and inevitable process in life. It comes with a set of challenges and emotions. The Kubler-Ross model gives you a deeper understanding of how people navigate change and how they can be helped.
What is the Kübler-Ross Change Curve Model?
Effective management cannot be maintained if we do not understand how individuals deal with changes. The Kubler model theorizes how the human mind goes through five stages of grief during a major loss. This change management model focuses on responses to the change process people go through when they deal with loss.
The Kubler Ross model should be studied as a guide instead of a rigid framework. Whether personal or organizational change, this change model explains how individuals cope with change or accept the change. It offers insight into the complexity of human behaviour and emotions, which can be valuable in multiple fields such as change management, healthcare, counselling, and psychology.
5 Stages of the Kübler-Ross Change Model
Developed by Swiss-American Psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, this model describes the conditions of terminally ill patients. This change curve in the workplace can help employees in new ways. This way employees may have a better understanding of the patients’ response to change.
Understanding the Kübler-Ross curve change means knowing the 5 stages of Kubler Ross model. Let us look at the following stages of personal transition when it comes to grief:
Stage 1 – Denial
The very first emotional response to grief is denial. Individuals cannot come to terms with the new reality of loss. They may experience disbelief or shock, refusing to register that it happened and it will have a significant change in their lives. This inability to process major change is practically a defence mechanism. They may cling to their comfort zones, beliefs, and routines to maintain sense of control and stability.
Stage 2 – Anger
The next stage in the model is anger. This stage is composed of the intensity of confusion, resentment, frustration, and even rage. This stage is a developing phase of react to change. Anger may stem from the sense of injustice, unfairness, and helplessness. This stage demands time and space so it is vital to let them express their anger productively so that other individuals may help them productively.
Stage 3 – Bargaining
In the third stage of grief, individuals consciously or subconsciously bargain a way to regain loss or used to the influence of the change. They brainstorm alternatives and what-if scenarios or try to adjust to a different situation. It is a painful stage to go through as it is full of complexities and uncertainties. They do not properly understand the emotional responses to change and are lost at this point. Limitations of this stage take them to the next one.
Stage 4 – Depression
The depression stage is worst as individuals undergo the most severe sense of hopelessness, sadness, and loss. They feel they are at a deadlock here. They undergo deep emotional trauma at this stage and are unable to cope with significant change or loss. They can lose interest in their relationships or activities. As despair and emptiness grow, they are in dire need of empathy, support, and understanding.
Stage 5 – Acceptance
The final stage of the Kübler-Ross model is acceptance. Having gone through the difficult stages, individuals finally accept the new reality here. Acceptance is not happiness – it should not be mistaken that way – but it is rather a willingness or recognition to adapt to a new scenario and move forward. Acceptance allows the individuals to come to terms with the loss and find new ways of working towards the new path.
Outcome.
The Kübler-Ross change curve is a popular theory about the stages of grief. Only by understanding this model, you can develop a natural response to help grief victims. They suffer a lot as others can’t help them due to a lack of understanding and information. Only by helping them accurately, we can help individuals come to terms with realities and move forward. For further info, you can access Kubler-Ross model of change management PDF online.
References
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