When my sister died, I focused on improving my work life. It helped me stay present and deal with my grief.

• When my sister died of cancer, I struggled with my grief.
• I turned to wellness hacks like cold plunges to try and move past the loss, but that didn't help.
• I then optimized my life at work, and I finally felt a sense of agency again.

I'm standing in the corner of the only unoccupied room in Sunnybrook Hospital's emergency center in Toronto, making a phone call. I'm about to say the hardest sentences of my life.

My dad picks up the line. I pause. I don't want my voice to crack, but it does, anyway. "Well, Dad, I have some hard news..."