All The Ways To Take Care Of Yourself While Grieving

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Losing a loved one is one of the most difficult experiences you can go through. Whether the loss was expected or unexpected, the grief experienced can be incredibly difficult to navigate and overcome. While there isn’t a “correct” way to grieve as everyone deals with these emotions differently, here are some suggestions from FutureSTRONG Academy for simple steps you can take to heal in a healthy manner.

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Allow Yourself To Feel: 

While it can be tempting to bury your head in the sand when dealing with grief, it’s okay to acknowledge the feelings you’re experiencing. They may range from sadness and anger to numbness. There are no right feelings, but it’s important to acknowledge the ones you’re feeling, work through the grieving process, and learn to live with the new normal without your loved one.

Acknowledging your feelings can be difficult, and you may instead seek distraction with work to avoid your true feelings. This can lead to burnout, so it’s important to take breaks and have evenings without work to ensure you’re addressing the issue at hand. Establish boundaries, both personal and professional, so that you have the time and space you need to work through your grief.

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Express Your Emotions: 

Bottling up emotions is never a good idea, but sometimes talking it out can be intimidating or tiring when you don’t feel ready. Finding a healthy way to express your feelings can provide comfort during the grieving process. Take advantage of temperate weather and commit to a 15-minute walk each day, or take up painting. This can be a great time to reconnect with old hobbies that spark joy and try new ones that allow you to express what you’re feeling. Expressing yourself through a healthy medium, such as art, music, or exercise, can provide relief during such a difficult time.

Mother Comforts Son

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Talk To A Therapist: 

Grief is a natural reaction to loss, but it can often be overwhelming and lead to feelings of isolation. If you are struggling to cope with grief, an online therapist can provide support and guidance. Online therapy offers the same benefits as traditional therapy, but it can be more convenient and affordable. In addition, online therapists can provide specialized support for grief, such as helping you to create a support system or develop healthy coping mechanisms. When choosing between therapists online, remember that many therapists will offer a free one-time consultation so you can gauge whether they’re a good fit.

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Create Healthy Goals: 

While busying yourself with work or other extracurricular activities can be a great way to provide a distraction from uncomfortable thoughts, there’s a fine line between living your life normally and using these activities to prevent you from healing. Setting small goals during your grieving process can help ensure you’re engaging in healthy behaviors. These goals can range from ensuring you complete one stress-relieving activity a day to committing to therapy once a week to work through your emotions.

Facing mortality can give us perspective on our own lives. You may realize that you are unhappy in your career and are ready to move to a different job. Take advantage of this momentum and start applying. It’s best to have your resume updated and ready to include with applications, and a free PDF editor is one option if your current resume is in PDF form. With this tool you can easily update the document and then save it again as a PDF, which is often required for resume uploads.

If you feel ready to pursue larger goals, you may wish to pursue a lifelong dream, such as changing careers or even starting your own business. The grieving process, while difficult, can eventually lead to feelings of inspiration to change the way you live. Setting goals along the way can be a great tool in achieving the life you want.

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Next Steps: 

The grieving process can be raw, difficult, and messy, but you can take steps to help you heal and overcome your loss. It can be helpful to talk through these steps in therapy sessions with a trusted professional who can work with you.

Grieving is hard, but it is even harder to coach a child through their grief while you are grieving. Despite the difficulty, you are giving your child important tools they will use forever, which is what we promote at FutureSTRONG Academy. We must help children to learn more than educational curriculum, but how to manage their emotions and respect their capabilities. 

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Featured Photo Credit: Nathan McDine via Unsplash

Photo Credit: Jordan Whitt via Unsplash

Article Author: Lucille Rosetti

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