We all hope that our lives are going to be relatively plain sailing, however, there are some life events out there that are going to put a bit of a spanner in the works. Some of the most stressful things that you can ever go through are marriage, divorce, moving home and losing someone who you care about.
Bereavement can be incredibly difficult and at times you are going to feel that the only person who can get you through it, is you. So, what can you do? How can you help yourself through bereavement and help to get yourself through the darkness?
We have put together 7 ways to help yourself through bereavement and hopefully get you through this incredibly difficult time in your life.
Find ways to remember them
When someone you care about dies, you are likely to feel that they have left you all alone and that they will never be close by you again. One way that you can make sure that you always feel that they are with you each and every day, is to buy yourself some Ashes Memorial Jewellery. This jewellery is not only beautiful and stylish, but as it is made to contain your loved one’s ashes, it is also going to be a truly special and unique item for you to treasure.
Take one day at a time
There is no time-frame on when you need to be feeling more like yourself. Grief takes time and whilst you are in the midst of it, you are likely to feel incredibly overwhelmed by even the simplest of tasks. It is important that you try and focus on each day as it comes, not only can this help you to process your feelings, but it also can help you to do your best to complete all the daily tasks that you need to do, such as cooking, shopping and keeping your home clean and tidy.
Try and get out of the house as often as you can
When you are grieving for someone, it can be tempting to hide away in your home and not go out. However, this is one of the worst things that you can do. Sure, you need to spend some time trying to process how you feel, but you should also try to get out and about as much as you can. Not only will the fresh air do you good, but being around people, even if you are not talking to them, can really help you to not feel quite so lonely.
Accept support and help from your family and friends
Hopefully, when you are dealing with a bereavement you are going to have plenty of people around you to offer support. These are likely to be family and friends, people who are long term and can form a support network. Don’t think that you are being a burden to them, or that they don’t want to hear about how you feel. Chances are that they are ready and waiting to give you all the help that you are going to need to get through your period of grief.
Attend a bereavement and grief group
Whilst it is great to speak to your family and friends about how you feel, sometimes you are likely to want to speak to someone who understands just what you are going through. There are support groups out there that are designed to help you to talk through the way that you are feeling and bring you together with other people who are also dealing with grief. So, why not make the effort to join one?
Remember that it isn’t forever
Dealing with grief can lead to some pretty dark times, which means that you can end up feeling that there is no way out of the way that you feel. The important thing to remember is that whilst it may seem like life will never be the same, things do get better. Losing someone never goes away, but it gets less and less as the time goes on, which means that you know even though you are feeling at your lowest right now, one day you will start to feel much brighter.
Be kind to yourself
Your physical and emotional wellbeing is going to suffer during a period of grief, which means that you are going to need to make sure that you do your best to take care of yourself. Be kind to your emotions and to your physical health. Remembering that you are healing. Eat well, sleep well and make sure that you rest as much as you can. There is no shame in taking things slowly.
It isn’t easy to deal with a bereavement; however, you can get through it. Take your time and think about yourself. We can promise you that one day you will start to feel more like yourself again.
I read a poem a while back that summed up grief perfectly…
As for grief, you’ll find it comes in waves. When the ship is first wrecked, you’re drowning, with wreckage all around you. Everything floating around you reminds you of the beauty and the magnificence of the ship that was, and is no more. And all you can do is float. You find some piece of the wreckage and you hang on for a while. Maybe it’s some physical thing. Maybe it’s a happy memory or a photograph. Maybe it’s a person who is also floating. For a while, all you can do is float.