Losing someone you love is a painful and distressing ordeal to deal with. Though an inevitable and natural part of life, death of a loved one can bring depression and can disrupt our way of life. When this happens, life can be very stressful and unpleasant. It is necessary, therefore, to adapt ways to help yourself or your family to cope with the stress of having lost a loved one.
There are ways listed here that can help you look through the foggy days of mourning with perseverance and hope of a more optimistic tomorrow. Please understand that death of love one is more shocking and need more time for their immediate families to come over it. You may have to convey your condolence messages each and every day to the immediate family until they recover
1. Give Time
Overcoming grief over the loss of a loved cannot be done in an instant. Realize that it takes time to be healed from pain and despondency. So be patient with the process of going through the stages of feeling deserted, alone, and miserable until time helps you remember the sad loss as a natural part of life and not a depressing reality anymore.
2. Learn to Accept
It is very important that you accept the demise of your loved one. Perhaps, at the onset, you or your family can experience feelings of denials that your loved one has already departed. This is natural, however, soon you have to learn to accept and acknowledge in your heart the sad fact that you cannot be with your loved one anymore. Acceptance of your sad situation can release you from fear and feelings of desolation.
3. Engage in a Recreation
To help you move on and focus your attention away from the negative feelings of having lost a loved one, it is good to engage yourself to some recreations. Doing recreations gives you diversion from your grief. It can also help you become more positive because you spend more time in thinking of enjoyable things than fixing your emotions on the loss you are experiencing.
4. Keep the Regular Chores
Diversion is a very good strategy to help you cope with your loss. Aside from recreation, you can also divert your loneliness to a better mood and mind-set by keeping the usual chores you do. Though, this may be a difficult task, it would be of great help to you if you keep yourself busy. Continue doing the work you usually do and do not allow yourself to be idle. Inactivity will aggravate your loneliness and grief. If you do not have work, look for one and make yourself active.
5. Pour it Out
Do not suppress your feelings of loss and pain. Instead, feel free to pour it out and vent out how you truly feel. Talk to somebody about the departed loved one, how the experience makes you feel, what your thoughts are, what plans you have for the future, and how you really are at the moment. If you feel the need to cry, do it. Pent up emotions can trigger health problems. So take care of yourself by releasing your grief openly. This can be a therapeutic experience for the hurting.
6. Converse with Others
Sometimes, it helps to overcome grief by conversing with people of similar circumstances. It helps to make you feel that you are not really alone. It also serves as an outlet of negative emotions to flow out. Talking with someone of the same problem can generate feelings of support. Being listened to at times when you face great emotional difficulty can give you big relief from your grief. Do not feel ashamed in expressing how you really feel. It may help pave the way for your emotional healing. Voice out your grief and your thoughts to help you in your difficult moments. The verbal release can give you a cathartic effect in your wounded emotions.
7. Be Honest
Children can also suffer the pain of losing the grandparent or the parent. It is best to talk to the child and explain clearly why your loved one departed. Assure the child that it is not something to be afraid of. And let the child remember the departed by presenting the child with activities that can divert his feelings from loneliness. The child can do drawing, sing a song, dance or play an instrument in memory of the lost loved one.
8. Show Concern and Support
Because every experience can have a lasting impact in the child’s mind, safeguard your child from long-term grief by expressing genuine concern and emotional support. Do not leave your child alone especially when he sleeps at night. At times, the death of a loved one can be pretty frightening and overwhelming to a child. Support him/her by keeping close at his/her side both when he is playing and sleeping. Give closer attention to your child during the grieving moment so that he won’t feel alone and deserted. You can hold his/her hand, give him/her a hug, or cuddle up your child.
