How To Cope With The Death Of A Loved One

How To Cope With The Death Of A Loved One

Experiencing the loss of a close friend or relative can be such a tough time, and you’re bound to feel many upsetting and overwhelming emotions that can make simple daily activities hard to bear. It’s fair to say that having a loved one pass away under any circumstances can be such a difficult scenario to go through, but you need to reach a point of acceptance that allows you to move past the loss and get back on your feet. 

Thankfully, there are several different steps that you can follow to feel a little more positive with each day that slowly passes by, helping you to deal with any after effects of such a traumatic event in a more gentle, uplifting manner, with self care as a main focus. 

If you have recently lost a close relative, friend or anyone else that meant something to you, then it may be of great benefit for you to read on so that you can uncover some of the most worthwhile tips and ideas that will help you to heal. 

Try Keep Yourself Busy

When you’re going through grief, it can be hard for you to face even the simplest of tasks. It’s all too tempting to lay in bed and mourn for your loved one, but this simply isn’t something that you can do forever.

They wouldn’t want you to dwell over their passing in such a way that it takes over your daily life, so you need to put your foot down and try your best to get up and stay busy. When you keep yourself occupied by doing any kind of activity or task, you will be distracted from the negative thoughts and feelings that are getting you down. 

Doing something as simple as cleaning your home or cooking yourself a meal will help to take your mind off the situation as you will be keeping yourself busy rather than leaving your mind to run circles around you. Building up the courage to indulge in a few activities that you enjoy can be such a great way to distinguish your lethargy and help you to become more active and participate more in daily life, so try to think of something that would usually put a smile on your face.

Whether you decide to indulge in some relaxing self care by taking a hot bubble bath, or even take part in some excess by going for a brisk walk amongst the fresh air and sunshine to clear your head; just take the opportunity to stay busy so that you can take your mind away from your loss. 

Deciding to pick up a whole new hobby is a great way to develop more of a purpose when you are grieving, and it can also help you to stick to a schedule and get back into the swing of daily life activities. Regularly investing your time and energy into something like a sports team or even an art class can work well in giving you something to look forward to each week, stopping you from drifting through your days without any sense of purpose or direction. Focusing too much on your loss will keep you stuck, unable to move past the sad passing of your loved one, so don’t make the mistake of avoiding self care, hobbies and other personally beneficial tasks. 

Don’t Avoid Making Arrangements 

There’s no doubt about the fact that funerals can be such a difficult event to arrange, as it’s more than likely that you want to provide a beautiful send off that properly encapsulates the personality of your loved one and their life. It can be tempting to just avoid the responsibility, constantly putting it off so that you don’t have to truly accept that your friend or relative is no longer with you.

However, this will not benefit you in the long run, as making arrangements can be the perfect opportunity for you to find closure and leave your negative emotions in the past so that you can focus on remembering all of the good times that you had. 

A funeral is a chance to celebrate the life of your loved one, sharing the happiest memories with their nearest and dearest so that you can all reminisce on the time you spent together before their passing. This can really help if you’re feeling low, as you’ll be able to think back to happier times when they had a smile on their face, encouraging you to do the same.

A funeral signifies the reality of the situation – though you may have lost one amazing soul, you still have many others around you that love you and wish to see you thrive as an individual. Give your loved one a brilliant send off that you can be proud of, choosing from the most unique urns or caskets to find the best style that you know they would be more than happy with. These little details can help to provide you with greater peace of mind on the matter, as it’s a final gift that you can give them. 

Don’t Be Afraid To Access Extra Support 

There are so many sources of extra support for people who are struggling to cope with the loss of a loved one. You might find that it helps to speak honestly with your family and friends, or you may experience greater benefits from contacting a grief counselor.

Grief counselors are specially trained therapists who provide support to those who are in mourning, and they might be the perfect person to help you get back on your feet. It’s vital that you can find the right grief counselor, as each therapist will have their own unique approach to helping you deal with your loss.

Do not hesitate to change your grief counselor if you feel the sessions aren’t helping you to progress, as it’s important that you can gain real benefit from your sessions with a therapist rather than simply stirring up negative emotions. 

Learning how to handle grief can be tough, but it is possible to deal with the loss and move forward.