If you’re grieving a loved one that has passed on, know that you’re not alone. However, grief is a subjective process. Everyone goes through it differently — and that’s OK.
Sometimes, it feels like the grief will never end. Although you will surely always miss the one you lost, it doesn’t mean that your life’s joys are over. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the emotions, from the “I’m sorry for your loss” messages, or the funeral gifts that don’t quite make things OK, know that this is temporary. Luckily, there are some healthy ways to start healing. Keep reading for our 7 top recommendations.
1. Meditation
Meditation can help you process many things, including grief and trauma. Meditation has become a way for many people to relax and reflect even though this practice was started by the Buddhists. If you’re in the midst of the grieving process, try meditation. There are even apps that provide guided sessions.
2. Write letters to your departed loved one
This is a way for you to speak to your missing loved one in the moments you’d really like to. It’s also a way for you to organize your thoughts and emotions surrounding their loss. It helps to not only be able to verbalize these emotions but also to see them written on paper. Moreover, you can keep your loved one updated on their families, express what you miss about them most, and even just to find a cathartic method of grieving.
3. Find a distraction in entertainment
One way you can distract yourself without eliminating your emotions entirely is simple entertainment. While ignoring grief can become problematic, sitting with it 24/7/365 won’t help you either. Finding a new show to watch, going to the movies once a week by yourself or with friends, or going to comedy shows can make for a worthwhile distraction from nagging thoughts of loss. You will surely need some moments of peace from them.
4. Seek out a therapist
This is standard practice after a loved one passes on. Seeking therapy will help you deal with the feelings you can’t make sense of on your own. Seeing a therapist allows you to build trust with someone new and discuss things you would rather not share with family or friends. Plus, it gives you the release you need to process these feelings. It also helps you realize that you don’t have to go through this alone.
5. Travel
If you have the time and ability to travel for a while after facing the grieving process, you absolutely should. Getting out there and seeing a new part of the world, exploring nature, meeting new people, or simply seeing all of the joys that life still has to offer can help you greatly during your grieving process. This will provide positive experiences to help you move forward with your life and give opportunities for reflection. There are even little ways in which you can honor them as you travel — by wearing their clothing or jewelry in certain places they loved, or by leaving those pieces behind in said places in their memory.
6. Make a playlist
Having a playlist that you can listen to when you’re missing your loved one will help you stay connected to them. It’ll also remind you of fond memories. Fill your playlist with songs or albums you enjoyed together, songs that make you think of them, and then play it when you’re feeling down.
7. Find others who know the feeling
There are so many people who are grieving. Don’t feel like you’re all alone — you’re not. Finding a support group of fellow grievers or setting up one yourself can help you share your feelings that you struggle to discuss with others who don’t understand. These groups don’t even have to be somber, they can be a time in which you remember your departed loved ones fondly, where you make dark and funny jokes in order to combat the impending tears. Or, you can just feel free to air your grief with someone else who gets it.
There’s no “right” or “wrong” way to grieve. It’s personal to each individual who goes through it. So never worry that you’re handling it poorly or too slowly. Take it day by day, and do what you can to think back fondly on the one you lost.
Photo by Alexandros Nicolopoulos on Unsplash
