Grief can be a debilitating process that affects your quality of life. If you’re feeling the effects of intense grief, know that it is natural to feel these emotions, and there are ways you can cope. Here are some methods that people use to manage their grief.
Make Goals for Yourself
You must establish some goals for yourself if you’re going to move past your grief. While it’s certainly OK to mourn, you can’t stay that way forever. Setting new goals will help you deal with and make sense of your emotions.
So be sure to stick to your goals and work hard to reach each one. If necessary, set up a “to-do” list so you can check off each one as you complete it. You might be surprised by just how effective this is. You’ll eventually come to appreciate that you worked through your grief.
Normalize Your Feelings
The first step to coping is letting yourself feel the pain. It’s not easy, but it’s necessary for healing. You may be feeling numb or unmotivated, or like you’re constantly on edge.
While you need to let yourself experience emotions, staying in a state of grief too long can actually make things worse. That’s because grief has a natural cycle, and there’s a point when it will no longer serve you to hold onto these painful feelings.
Coping with feelings doesn’t have to mean that you have to do anything drastic. It might just involve normalizing your feelings so they don’t affect your everyday life so much or get in the way of your relationships with friends and family members.
No one has the same experience when they grieve—some people need more time than others—so take this advice with a grain of salt and find out what works best for you.
Grieve in Your Own Way
No two people grieve the same way. But there are certain ways that grieving people have found to be effective in managing their pain and moving forward with their everyday lives.
Talk About Your Feelings
It’s important to talk about what’s going on for you, even if it takes time for you to open up. This is a process that takes time, and there’s no “right” or “wrong” way of doing it.
Letting out your feelings will help you process them and give you relief from the burden of carrying them inside. You’ll also find that talking helps other people understand what you’re experiencing.
Consider talking to a therapist or counselor if you feel a professional could help. Make sure you feel comfortable doing so; if you force yourself to seek therapy, you may discover that you’re not open to the process.
Take Care of Yourself
As hard as it may seem at times, this means taking the steps necessary to ensure your physical health is sound. Try to get enough sleep to relieve stress and so that you can function throughout the day without relying on coffee or energy drinks.
If your appetite has dwindled, try eating something small every few hours until it returns to normal. And remember to take care of your emotional needs by engaging in activities that make you happy, like spending time with family or friends, listening to music, or reading a book.
The Power of Organization
You might be surprised to learn that living in a state of clutter only compounds grief and stress. Take the time to declutter your home—organize closets and cabinets, and focus on creating a space reserved for meditation.
Strive to create a serene area that you can look forward to coming to for relaxation and escape as you meditate. This will also provide you with a safe space to grieve in, where you can work through your emotions and pain.
There’s no “right way” to grieve. The process is different for everyone, so give yourself time if you feel you’re not making the “progress” you feel you should. Incorporate some of the tips above, and look for things that appeal to you and make you feel comfortable. Grieving can be a long process, but by practicing good self-care, you can emerge from this feeling strong and capable.
