Her willingness to go public with her grief, even penning a book – Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy – about her experiences, has no doubt helped thousands who have experienced the same thing.

Aptly enough, she began her journey by posting an essay on Facebook shortly after Goldberg passed away from a heart attack at the age of 47.

In the incredibly emotional BBC interview, she described how she felt isolated until she spoke out with the post and was surprised at how much it resonated with people.

“It wasn’t just the overwhelming grief and sadness, but what happened in the days and weeks that followed was this profound dense of isolation. I felt like people were looking at me like I was a ghost,” she said.

Saying she initially “wrote it really for myself”, she decided to post her thoughts on Facebook. “I thought ‘It’s not going to get worse and maybe it might get better’ [...]

“But it actually really helped. It didn’t bring Dave back and it didn’t take away the grief but it took away the feeling that I was alone because people started talking to me again.”

Speaking to Stylist about grief earlier this year, she explained that helping out a friend going through a difficult time doesn’t have to be a big deal, and that people shouldn’t be put off by worrying they’ll upset someone by asking how they are: “As difficult or awkward as it might be to reach out to a grieving friend, I urge you to do it – and not just once, but again and again.

“You don’t have to say anything profound or do anything heroic. Just say that you’re there for them. Take something off their to-do list – even something small, like taking the trash out or swinging by the store to grab milk. I promise it helps.”

Listen to the full interview here.

Images: Rex Features

Sheryl Sandberg on how to support a grieving colleague in the workplace