Five ways that can help you cope with grief

Five ways that can help you cope with grief

Grief in life is inevitable for all of us. Regardless of our stations, we will all experience it at some point or the other. We have already been experiencing more simple forms of grief since childhood – the loss of a friend moving away or when you change schools or move home.

And while it may not feel like it, in some ways, those smaller grieving moments prepare us for what is to come later in life – such as the death of a loved one. Many of us will not know how to process grief when it is happening to us for the first time. There are some practical ways you can use that can help.

Stages of Grief

It’s important to understand the nature of grief and the stages of grief we will likely be going through as we process the loss.

1. Denial – The first step where we are still in shock and denying that it has caused us grief. It is a coping method of our minds when faced with the death of a loved one: not accepting that they are gone and believing that they will come back around and that this is not really happening.

2. Anger – The overwhelming feeling of anger and wanting to blame something or someone for the loss. Blaming an incident or a person, a decision made or not made.

3. Bargaining – It’s not uncommon to feel helpless and feel a loss of control during the grieving process. Some turn to a bargaining process to regain control by wondering the ‘what if’ and ‘if only’ feelings considering ‘If only I had taken care of them, they would not be gone today’.

4. Depression – This is often a stage where many linger for a more extended period of time. In this stage, one is overwhelmed with sadness and what life will be like without the person they lost, wondering what life is to be lived without the loved one.

5. Acceptance – The final stage where you learn to accept that the person is gone and cherish the memories you have had with the person with fondness and get back to a new normal of life without the person.

Permit & Fine-tune Self Awareness

One of the first steps you can take to cope with grief is to fine-tune your self-awareness. It is essential to acknowledge what you are feeling and let the feeling manifest and be processed. Understanding the different stages of grief is key to this fine-tuning process.

If your feelings are saying you are not strong enough to handle this situation, tell yourself that this is a story you are just telling yourself now, and it is not reality.

Express the feelings as they come – be it positive or negative. Don’t shy away from how you feel, be in the moment, and feel it. This will help the healing and processing. Permit yourself to feel.

Find Support

There is an old saying in Indian cultures: ‘sharing grief reduces it, and sharing happiness increases it.’ There is wisdom to this saying. Grieving alone on an emotional island by yourself can be overwhelming and cruel. It is essential to find support. Whether it is support from your faith and fellow worshippers, or support from friends and family, or support from professional counsellors, it is essential to seek help during grief.  Talking out your feelings can be therapeutic and help us heal our hearts.

Many have found comfort in seeking Mediums to feel like they can communicate with their loved ones who have passed. A psychic can help a grieving person process unresolved feelings and emotions through a reading. Whatever you think of psychics and mediums, as long as you can seek comfort in this process, it is well worth the endeavor. Be sure to pick reliable, trustworthy, and genuine psychics. To explore and find your psychic to help you with this, check out: https://mediumfinder.com. This article might help you prepare for your first psychic reading if this is something you have chosen to explore.

Habits & Hobbies

While the world will seem like it is falling apart during our grieving process, it will be even more important to hold on to the worldly routines in your life.

It will help if you continue with your daily routines and habits. It allows the grieving process to progress and move into the consequent stages of grief.

There is tremendous comfort in getting back to the mundane routines of life. This is also an excellent time to keep up with hobbies or pick up a new hobby.

Focus on Your Physical Wellbeing

Our emotional health is in distress when we are grieving. Our mental health takes a bit of a hit. With that you can feel out of our control, so it’s important to focus on what we can control – our physical wellness. resist temporary fixes and instead focus on physical exercise and healthy nutrition to help you care for yourself. If you feel like not facing the world out there to exercise, check out some ways you can stay fit at home.

The healing powers of going out for a walk can be immensely helpful in difficult times.

Seek Help

On the point of emotional and mental health and wellbeing, don’t be shy to seek help from professionals who can help you process the grief and sense of loss.

From one-on-one talk therapy to group therapies and support groups, all of these methods have been known to help a grieving person’s emotional health. Keep reminding yourself there is nothing wrong with seeking help during these times. It is not a sign of weakness – instead, a sign of wise decisions to seek help from professionals.

For more inspiration on self-care, check out these 12 self-care habits that have helped us through the lockdowns.

Of course, it all seems easier said than done. But, if you have searched how to deal with grief online and come across this article, you’re seeking ways to help yourself.  Instead of taking leaps, try these baby steps. One step at a time. One day at a time. Humanity has dealt with grief for as long as we existed, and so, all this too shall pass.

Stay strong. Stay well!