Rules of Grief
The phrase “act normal” is something from my youth, where the goal was to carry on as if nothing unusual was happening.
When someone is returning from a bereavement leave, often colleagues are very nervous about what to say or do. And it may feel like the best course of action is to act as though everything is “normal.” However, life isn’t normal for that person and acknowledging this goes a long way to helping them feel supported at work.