How to Cope With the Loss of a Loved One
Allow yourself to experience your feelings., Express your feelings to others., Find creative outlets., Prepare for reminders., Reminisce.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Allow yourself to experience your feelings.
Losing someone you love is an emotionally devastating experience.
In the aftermath of loss, you may find yourself grappling with a variety of feelings.
It's very important that you allow yourself to feel what you are feeling, even if it's bad.
Suppressing your feelings is not a good idea in the aftermath of loss.
Avoiding feelings of sadness can prolong the grieving process.
Also, suppressing grief can lead to things like anger, anxiety, and substance abuse.
Even if pausing to consider your feelings is painful, it's important you allow yourself to feel.
Do not shy away from feelings of devastation and heartbreak.
Allow yourself to cry when necessary.Certain types of death or loss may be particularly difficult to process.
Losing a child may provoke feelings of anger and injustice, for example.
A suicide can lead to anger at the person who has died.
With these kinds of losses, people often feel bad about their emotions or think how they're feeling is inappropriate or insensitive.
Keep in mind no feelings are inherently good or bad.
How you choose to act on your feelings can have negative consequences, but having a range of powerful emotions is normal.
You should not judge yourself for feeling what you're feeling.Not all emotions in the immediate aftermath of loss are negative.
It's not uncommon to feel gratitude for having been close to someone, even if they're gone.
You may also find yourself smiling over fond memories.
Many people find, when coping with loss, that they veer between laughter and tears.
Understand all these emotions are healthy and necessary when it comes to processing loss. -
Step 2: Express your feelings to others.
Talking to others is very important following the loss of a loved one.
Your friends and family members may not be able to provide you with direct advice, but simply having someone to listen can be cathartic.
Sometimes stating your feelings out loud can help you work through them.
After a loss, seek out understanding friends and family members.
Express your feelings to them and seek comfort and support., Even if you're not typically a creative person, using a creative medium to express your feelings can give your grief a tangible form.
Make a scrapbook or photo album commemorating your lost loved one.
Write a poem, essay, or short story about your relationship with that person.
Draw or paint out your feelings in abstract images and colors.
This can help you get your feelings outside your own head in a concrete manner, helping you better process your emotions., After losing a loved one, reminders are constant.
Reminders can be obvious, like holidays and birthdays.
They can also be somewhat less tangible.
Certain sights and smells, for example, can trigger memories.
It's not always possible to know when you'll encounter a reminder.
However, when you know a reminder is coming try to prepare.
The anniversary of someone's death can be very painful.
The first birthday without that person, as well the holiday season, can also be difficult to endure.
During these times, it can be helpful to simply brace yourself for an emotional reaction.
Acknowledge the fact you may very well be sad on these dates and remind yourself it's important to allow yourself to experience these feelings.However, you should also make sure you care for yourself.
Make sure you have someone to call or go see if you know a certain date or event will trigger feelings of grief.
You want to make sure you have adequate support.
You can also have something to distract.
While you should acknowledge your grief, if you become overwhelmed by it it's okay to have something comforting in mind to do.
You could plan to go see a movie or call an old friend., Many people find their memories comforting in the aftermath of loss.
Reminiscing may be painful at first.
However, with time you may come to treasure memories of your lost loved one.
At the memorial and funeral service, allow yourself to share memories with others in attendance.
Memory can be cathartic when it comes to coping with grief.
You can also find tangible ways to honor someone's memory.
For example, you may want to donate to a charity they cared about or get involved in an organization that was important to them. -
Step 3: Find creative outlets.
-
Step 4: Prepare for reminders.
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Step 5: Reminisce.
Detailed Guide
Losing someone you love is an emotionally devastating experience.
In the aftermath of loss, you may find yourself grappling with a variety of feelings.
It's very important that you allow yourself to feel what you are feeling, even if it's bad.
Suppressing your feelings is not a good idea in the aftermath of loss.
Avoiding feelings of sadness can prolong the grieving process.
Also, suppressing grief can lead to things like anger, anxiety, and substance abuse.
Even if pausing to consider your feelings is painful, it's important you allow yourself to feel.
Do not shy away from feelings of devastation and heartbreak.
Allow yourself to cry when necessary.Certain types of death or loss may be particularly difficult to process.
Losing a child may provoke feelings of anger and injustice, for example.
A suicide can lead to anger at the person who has died.
With these kinds of losses, people often feel bad about their emotions or think how they're feeling is inappropriate or insensitive.
Keep in mind no feelings are inherently good or bad.
How you choose to act on your feelings can have negative consequences, but having a range of powerful emotions is normal.
You should not judge yourself for feeling what you're feeling.Not all emotions in the immediate aftermath of loss are negative.
It's not uncommon to feel gratitude for having been close to someone, even if they're gone.
You may also find yourself smiling over fond memories.
Many people find, when coping with loss, that they veer between laughter and tears.
Understand all these emotions are healthy and necessary when it comes to processing loss.
Talking to others is very important following the loss of a loved one.
Your friends and family members may not be able to provide you with direct advice, but simply having someone to listen can be cathartic.
Sometimes stating your feelings out loud can help you work through them.
After a loss, seek out understanding friends and family members.
Express your feelings to them and seek comfort and support., Even if you're not typically a creative person, using a creative medium to express your feelings can give your grief a tangible form.
Make a scrapbook or photo album commemorating your lost loved one.
Write a poem, essay, or short story about your relationship with that person.
Draw or paint out your feelings in abstract images and colors.
This can help you get your feelings outside your own head in a concrete manner, helping you better process your emotions., After losing a loved one, reminders are constant.
Reminders can be obvious, like holidays and birthdays.
They can also be somewhat less tangible.
Certain sights and smells, for example, can trigger memories.
It's not always possible to know when you'll encounter a reminder.
However, when you know a reminder is coming try to prepare.
The anniversary of someone's death can be very painful.
The first birthday without that person, as well the holiday season, can also be difficult to endure.
During these times, it can be helpful to simply brace yourself for an emotional reaction.
Acknowledge the fact you may very well be sad on these dates and remind yourself it's important to allow yourself to experience these feelings.However, you should also make sure you care for yourself.
Make sure you have someone to call or go see if you know a certain date or event will trigger feelings of grief.
You want to make sure you have adequate support.
You can also have something to distract.
While you should acknowledge your grief, if you become overwhelmed by it it's okay to have something comforting in mind to do.
You could plan to go see a movie or call an old friend., Many people find their memories comforting in the aftermath of loss.
Reminiscing may be painful at first.
However, with time you may come to treasure memories of your lost loved one.
At the memorial and funeral service, allow yourself to share memories with others in attendance.
Memory can be cathartic when it comes to coping with grief.
You can also find tangible ways to honor someone's memory.
For example, you may want to donate to a charity they cared about or get involved in an organization that was important to them.
About the Author
Tyler Green
Experienced content creator specializing in practical skills guides and tutorials.
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