Grief is difficult to manage, especially when you’re in the throes of it. But that doesn’t mean it has to take over your life. These tips will help you navigate your feelings of grief and come out the other side.
Don’t Put a Timeline on It
Everyone grieves differently, and, thus, every individual needs to grieve on their own timeline. When you’re going through grief, you should always allow the process to run its course without forcing anything. Putting pressure on yourself to “get over it” will only make things more challenging. Grief is going to take however long it takes.
Don’t Catastrophize
When dealing with grief, it’s easy to spiral downward and let the grief permeate all aspects of your life. The feelings can leave you wondering if things will ever get better. But one negative thing doesn’t make everything negative. Remind yourself that you’re not going to feel this way forever, and time will only help ease the pain. When you focus on positives, it helps to keep your catastrophizing impulses in check.
You’re Allowed to Be Happy
One of the most challenging things with grief is allowing yourself to feel other emotions. Yes, you are likely sad and angry, but feelings of happiness don’t need to feel like a betrayal. Don’t close yourself off to any emotions. It’s perfectly okay to laugh or smile when thinking about positive memories. Especially when dealing with loss, swapping funny stories about the deceased can help you deal with emotions.
Confide in Others
Vocalizing your feelings and emotions with loved ones or other trusted individuals can be a great coping mechanism. This allows you to share stories about your loss or vent any negative emotions rather than keeping them bottled up. While not everyone will want to talk right away, don’t hesitate to confide in others whenever it feels right.
Take a Break
Grieving can feel like a full-time job, but it doesn’t have to be. Once you’ve given yourself the time to cope, don’t be afraid to open your life up to distractions, even if only for short periods at a time. For some, this means returning to work. For others, it means enjoying a social event or immersing yourself in a new TV show. Remember: It’s not a betrayal to give yourself a break from your grief. On the contrary, it can help you better process it.
What are some effective ways that you have dealt with grief? Share your stories in the comments below.
Really enjoyed this!thank you.