Finding Real Comfort During Grief
Jun 22, 2020
Have you lost a loved one? Maybe it was an acquaintance you didn’t even know, but you still felt it hard. Grief can even come from losing a job, way of life, or personal item. No matter the reason, you likely found yourself reading this because you are grieving.
When you’re grieving it’s easy to act like nothing’s wrong. It’s also easy to collapse into sobs and not get anything done. These are both very valid, so don’t be hard on yourself. However, you need more than affirming words. Read on for ways to find real comfort during grief.
Take Care of Yourself
Psychologist Chris Rothman of the Center for Grief Recovery suggests some ways you might take care of yourself: taking a soothing bath, wrap yourself in a warm blanket, lie in the sun, gentle exercises like yoga or tai chi.
These are all great means of self-care, but don’t forget to do the essentials. Eat right, exercise, get enough sleep, and make sure not to slack at work. If you find yourself slipping with any of these things, your boss should understand if you need time off. You can also ask your friends and families to help with essentials like cleaning your house or taking care of your kids. They may even offer before you ask!
Reach Out
Don’t try to handle your grief alone. It can be tempting, especially if you are still in denial, but in the end, it will make everything worse. You need positive energy in your life. Some of your friends have been through grief themselves and will have great advice. Others will cheer you up and get you out of the house.
So, reach out! If you don’t feel like saying “I feel awful, does anyone want to hang out?” then just invite a friend over to play a game or something. It is important that you don’t try and guilt your friends into seeing you, either. Just invite their presence into your life and enjoy them. You can be honest about your grief when you feel comfortable, but if you need a distraction that is also okay.
Pursue Your Interests
A project is often a great means of overcoming grief, trauma, depression, and more. Taking on an artistic or even work-related endeavour you feel comfortable with will challenge you and provide distraction when needed. You’ll also feel great overcoming the obstacles the project throws at you.
Just be careful not to let this project overtake your life. If you are a workaholic type, channeling yourself into a project might become unhealthy. A confidence boosting project can be great for your mind, but you still need to process your feelings.
Modify and Stick to Your Routine
This is related to self-care and taking good care of yourself. When you suffer from grief, it’s easy to let your routine fall by the wayside. You may also slip into bad routines like finishing a bottle of wine every day after work.
You may need to stumble with your routine in order to recover. Don’t beat yourself up if you do. When you get the time and strength, however, you need to focus on a positive routine.
Get enough sleep, keep up with your hygiene, eat right, and practice self-care. You can still finish a bottle of wine, too! Just save it for Friday.
Consider Grief Counselling
Professional help is always recommended. If you find some of the items on this list to be too difficult, or even if you are following them all and still feel lost, seek professional help. No one knows grief like a professional grief counsellor, and you deserve the best quality help that’s out there.
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