Tomorrow will mark two years since the first national lockdown was announced, the country and the world came to a grinding halt.
As we celebrate leaving lockdown behind and living with Covid - many need time to say goodbye to their lost loved ones.
During the last two years, many have lost family members, friends, neighbours and colleagues and countless have faced incredibly trying times whilst also being incredibly isolated.
Now, with things opening up and people returning to normal, the loss of life can be harder to deal with.
Marie Curie have organised the National Day of Reflection, for people to come together and remember who they've lost and a trying couple of years.
On March 23rd, let's take time to connect, supporting the millions of people who are grieving, and remembering the family, friends, neighbours and colleagues we've lost over the last two years.
— Marie Curie Organisation
Marie Curie are promoting the activities and events they have planned across social media.
The events that they have planned are online talks, including A Moment of Reflection and The Memory Kitchen with TV presenter Mel Giedroyc and many others.
Walls of Reflection is an event, where friends and family members can write things down about ones they have lost - this can either be your own or community ones - click here to find your nearest Wall.
To find where you can remember with others or join in of Day of Reflection event click here .
All online events are timed and live but can be viewed whenever people want.
- A timeline of the online events starts at 8am with the Yoga workshop. The event runs for an hour and is hosted by an experienced yoga teacher Pip Roberts - she shows you how to use breathing, gentle movements and rest to help relieve physical and emotion tension.
- The next event is A Moment of Reflection at 11.50am, this lasts for 15 minutes and is hosted by Marie Curie Ambassador ad Downton Abbey star Jim Carter. This builds up the moment of silence at 12pm.
- The Instagram Live is at 12.20pm for 30 minutes and helps with breath-work and natural ways to stay calm. Leading psychotherapist and best-selling author Julia Samuel shows you some natural approaches to dealing with trauma, anxiety and grief.
- Grief at work: how can we better support employees talk is at 3pm. The duration is for an hour and hosted by a panel, with expertise in HR, wellbeing and grief to debate the role of the employer in bereavement support t work.
- At 3.30pm, the Workshop: Mindfulness for grief lasts for an hour. The host, therapist Neil Morbey of Positively Mindful explains how you can use mindfulness to train yourself to manage grief.
- On the hour at 5pm, The Grief Toolkit, is a session with Julia Samuel and Dr Kathryn Mannix, lasting 45, dealing with understanding and managing grief.
- And lastly, at 6pm, Mel Giedroyc's A Memory Kitchen, lasting 45 minutes. TV presenter Mel Giedroyc brings some special guests together around the kitchen table to share family recipes and discuss grief.
People have taken to Twitter to comment and share the news of the National day of Reflection event.
The day consists of a full online schedule which is there to help people with grief support, those who need inspiration and those that want to remember and reflect.
Covid Aid - a leading Covid charity in England spoke with Marie Curie on what the National Day of Reflection means and why people should attend and be involved if they are experiencing grief.
Some have commented on Twitter about the upcoming event.
One Twitter user said, "This is and can be a difficult week for many with #nationaldayofreflection and Mothers Day #selfcare #connection #memories may you hold your loved close and your memories forever x".
Another user said: "Two years ago today I helped mum move into care. What should have been a kindness turned into a nightmare. Within months her hair would be white. Her spirit broken. This was COVID lockdown reality for many in care. Death 10 mths later released her #NationalDayofReflection".
People have been isolated for too long over the past two years and with people enjoying more socialising, now is the time to reflect.
National Day of Reflection is on Wednesday 23rd march 2022.