Dealing with Mourning and Grief

Losing a loved one is unquestionably one of life’s most devastating experiences. It can overwhelm your senses and cause an emotional crisis. The process one undergoes after losing a loved one is known as bereavement, which means to be derived by death. That said, grief is an inevitable aspect of life, and it isn’t a linear process either. It involves big, messy feelings and conflicting, debilitating thoughts that you need to process to keep them from becoming all-consuming. 

This blog post will help you understand the mourning process and learn helpful tips for coping with grief. 

Learn about the Emotions

When you lose a family member, friend, or any loved one, you might experience a wide array of emotions. For instance, some people feel numbness before the grieving process starts. Some feelings that you might experience include:

• Sheer yearning
• Denial
• Disbelief
• Anger
• Shock 
• Confusion
• Humiliation
• Guilt
• Despair
• Sadness & more! 

All of these feelings are normal reactions to a loss of this magnitude. You might not be prepared for the intensity or mood changes you experience during the grieving period, but it’s important to acknowledge these emotions. You might also struggle with maintaining mental health stability, but that is nothing to be ashamed of. Give yourself time to fully absorb your loss and let time help you fall back into your routine. 

Mourning is a Natural Process

You need to look at mourning as a natural process one goes through after suffering a significant loss. It will help you in coping with grief. Mourning might involve religious traditions of honoring the deceased, celebrating their life, and personal and collective grieving. 

A person can mourn physically, psychologically, and emotionally through myriad expressions. Unchecked grief can cause them to experience crying spells, loss of appetite, sleep disturbances, lack of energy, avoidance, anxiety attacks, suicidal ideation, and more. Mourning can test your body’s defense systems and cause you to fall sick due to profound emotional loss. 

Tips to Cope with Grief

Even though there is no one-size-fits-all formula to coping with the loss of a loved one, you can use the following tips to cope with your grief:

• Express Your Feelings

One of the best ways to cope with grief is to express your feelings in front of people you trust and whom you know will not dismiss your emotions. Don’t be afraid of letting the tears flow or shy away from doing things that remind you of your deceased loved one. Allow their memories to flood through your mind and let your emotions flow. Remember them through your words. Eventually, discussing them with your loved ones will become less painful. 

• Be Patient & Kind to Yourself

Many people fail to recognize that grieving doesn’t come with an expiration date. You aren’t supposed to mourn for a few days after your loved one’s death and then magically get over it. Cut yourself some slack and let grief take its course. It will not be a linear, non-messy process. 

In fact, you might feel better one day and then miss your loved one terribly the next day or find yourself to be incapacitated by grief. The key is to take things one step at a time and be incredibly patient and kind to yourself. You should never feel like you need to quickly get over your loss or feel weak if you’re unable to process your grief in a matter of days. 

• Preserve Their Memories

One of the best ways to honor your loved one and process your loss is to create a tribute for the deceased individual. Depending on your relationship with them and the time you spent with them, you can honor them in a befitting manner. Make a memory box of all the things that remind you of them. Write letters to them detailing everything that you’d like to share with them. Celebrate them with their loved ones by talking about them and sharing memories of them with each other. 

• Join Support Groups

Repeat after me: there is no shame in seeking outside help and reaching out to people who have faced a loss similar to yours. While grief can be quite isolating and make you feel like no one will truly understand your loss and how you feel, it always helps to seek people who have been through the same loss and confide in them. 

You can actively look for support groups and hear stories from people who will be able to relate to and understand what you’re going through. It will give you a sense of solidarity that will help you greatly come to terms with your loss. But it’s important to approach these modes of healing with an open mind instead of waiting to run at the first sign of discomfort. 

• Seek Therapy

If you feel that your emotional and mental wellbeing is suffering and nothing is helping you, then perhaps it’s time to give professional help, i.e., therapy, a try. A psychologist might be able to help you uncover deeper emotions and thoughts that might have been hindering your mourning process and making you feel hopeless. They can also help you navigate and manage mental health issues brought on by your loss. 

• Take Care of Your Health

Another top tip for coping with grief is to ensure your physical well-being. Step out of the house, exercise, eat well, try to sleep on time, and don’t neglect your health. When you’re in good shape physically, it will help you become mentally stronger. Moreover, regular exercise will help you focus your energies on positive action rather than going down the rabbit hole of mind-numbing grief. It will also keep you from relying on alcohol or drugs to numb your pain. 

The Bottom Line

You need to remember that you have suffered an unimaginable loss, and it will take due time to come to terms with it. You will need to grieve, mourn, and accept the passing of your loved one. With ample support, kindness, and effort, you will survive your loss and come out stronger with the memories of your loved one carrying you through life.