How to care for yourself when in grief?
It’s of utmost importance for you to care for your own wellbeing when you are grieving. The impacts from the loss of your loved one could cause you extreme stress or even trauma. These negative impacts can drain your energy and cause emotional exhaustion. With both your physical and emotional needs well-cared of can help you go through this difficult period with more ease.
Do not avoid your feeling
You may try to bottle up your grief to not face it now, but you are not able to hide away from it forever. To get over grief, you will have to accept and face the pain that you are feeling. Trying to run away from the feelings of sadness and loss only makes the grieving process longer. If grief is not handled properly, it can lead to more troubles such as depression, anxiety or other health problems.
Show your feelings in a different way
Create a scrapbook or photo book of all your memories together to remember him/her; express your loss in words by writing them down in your diary or in your blog; or participate in activities that was important to him/her.
Take care of your own physical and mental health
The mind and body are one. When your body is physically healthy, our mental health will also be better. You should have sufficient rest, balanced diet and workout to tackle the stress and fatigue arose from grief. Never ever use alcohol or drugs to forget the pain of grief or make yourself feel better for a short while.
Don’t let anyone tell you how to feel, and don’t tell yourself how to feel either
No one should be telling you when you should stop grieving or forget about your pain and continue on with life normally. Your grief is your own, you can feel however you feel without having to care about others opinion. It’s alright to express how you feel; when you are angry with everything in the world, when you feel like crying your hearts out or even when you don’t feel like crying at all. It’s even alright for you to feel happy and laugh, and eventually get over grief when you are ready.
Prepare for special occasions that may cause you to grief again.
Special occasions such as death anniversaries, holidays and birthdays can rekindle the memories and feelings that were kept deep inside already. You need to be prepared for an emotional blow when the day comes, and know that how you feel is completely normal. If you are spending these occasions with your relatives, prepare in advance how you will all face the situation and how to reminisce the person you loved.