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When someone you love dies the world can feel ripped out from under your feet. These feelings of loss are known as grief, although grief itself encompasses so much more than just sadness. It’s often a complicated mix of anger, confusion, and even hopelessness.
No one experiences grief the same way, so it’s important that you’re patient with your own unique process and navigate it the best that you can. While there’s no simple recipe for making the grief go away, there are certain rituals and activities that can help you cope. To help you navigate loss, here are some ideas that might help.
Express Yourself
All too often when we’re feeling emotions that are uncomfortable, we tend to push them down and imagine they aren’t there. Unfortunately, this can exacerbate the problem even more and increase our period of healing. Yet, the more you can allow yourself to feel, the closer you’ll be to finding inner peace again.
If you’re not someone who’s incredibly in touch with your emotions, you may not be sure where to start. Know that expressing yourself can come in many different forms. Perhaps you can take an art class, or start journaling. Some people dance, while others prefer the route of therapy. Try a few different methods, and do what works best for you. The idea is to allow yourself to feel and let it out, however that may come to be.
Embrace Rituals
There is a reason why people have funerals and memorials— these are forms of rituals, and can help us feel closure after the death of someone we love. However, funerals aren’t the only form of rituals that exist. Some people find great solace in personal rituals such as lighting a candle, or hanging up photographs of their lost loved one. The idea is to do something that honors the person you love and provides a sense of connection to their memory.
Accept Help From Others
No one should have to go through the grieving process alone. Accept help from the people who love you, and allow them to be helpful. Believe it or not, helping you during your time of need is far from a burden. It can help people process their own grieving a little better, by making themselves feel useful. You don’t have to accept large gestures, either. Sometimes the simple act of someone simply being with you can be incredibly reassuring during your time of grief.
Be Patient
Grief is something that lasts for quite some time. It may come in waves, it may pop up when you least expect it, and it may be totally out of your control. Remember to be patient with the process, and know that one day you will feel better. Even though your heart is aching today, after enough time has passed, you will experience joy and happiness once again.
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