Life After Loss: How To Process Grief In A Healthy Way

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Grief is a natural emotion

Whether you are dealing with a death in the family or have lost a friend, the weeks and months following this loss are bound to be tough. After all, grief is perhaps the most complex of all human emotions due to the fact that it can manifest in a wide variety of ways, from sadness to anger. 

With that in mind, here are some strategies that you can follow to ensure that you are managing your grief in a healthy way.

Don’t expect to recover instantly.

It’s completely natural to want things to return to “normal” as quickly as possible after a loss. After all, grief is exhausting, and it can impact just about every area of your life. However, it’s important to remember that complicated emotions take time to process – and you must be gentle with yourself as a result of this. It’s okay to feel fine one day and terrible the next; in fact, that’s part of your healing journey. 

Consider counselling.

Many of those experiencing loss attempt to keep their true feelings hidden. For example, as a parent, you may want to put on a brave face for your children, meaning that you simply don’t give yourself the chance to grieve openly. However, while this may seem heroic, you are only delaying the healing process as your feelings aren’t being processed; they are being buried. This can easily be remedied through therapeutic services, such as grief counseling in Connecticut. 

Understand the stages of grief.

While each and every one of us will experience and approach grief in slightly different ways, understanding the basic “stages of grief” can be useful. After all, this can help you to make sense of how you are feeling and why you may be feeling that way. 

Get creative.

Many studies have found that creativity and healing go hand in hand. After all, creative pursuits, such as painting, writing or sketching, take your attention away from your sadness and allow you to focus on something else. This can be a welcome distraction when you feel as though your grief is beginning to overwhelm you. On a similar note, creative activities can sometimes help us to express ourselves when we can’t quite find the words we are looking for. 

Share happy memories.

Sharing stories about the happy memories you have shared with your loved one can also help when grieving. This is because it can provide you with “a sense of connection and closeness” while also bringing a smile to your face. 

Take time away from work.

While work may provide you with a suitable distraction when grieving, it’s important to remember that your mental health and well-being are far more important than any work deadline. As a result, if you need to take a break, it’s important that you do so. Stepping away from work for a short while will help you process your feelings and care for yourself in the way you need to be cared for during this time.