How Do You Cope With Grief?

By Anjana Motihar Chandra

It is natural and healthy to grieve so allow yourself to do so without feeling guilty or ashamed, or judging yourself. There are no shoulds or shouldn’ts in the grieving process. Allow yourself to fully experience all your feelings. Set aside some private time every day to think about your loved one and experience the feelings that come up.
Develop a support network of friends and family if you don’t already have one. Share your feelings with people you trust and feel safe with. When you lose a loved one, other loved ones gain even more importance in your life and you need to turn to them for support.
Develop a daily routine that keeps you busy so that you don’t have time to think of your loss.
Write down your feelings in a journal.
To maintain a sense of normalcy and security and to reduce your stress, avoid making major changes, such as getting a new job or shifting house, soon after a loss.
Be self-compassionate. Forgive yourself for the things you regret doing or saying as well as not doing or saying, and instead focus on your good memories.
Find ways to connect with the loved one you have lost. You could light a candle in their memory every day, and have a designated time daily or weekly when you look at their photos or videos and recall fond memories.
Establish a self-care practice. Grieving is both emotionally and physically exhausting which is why you need to get enough sleep, eat a healthy diet, and get sufficient physical exercise.
Find a physical activity that you enjoy – it would be even better if you could find someone to do the activity with. Playing a sport or simply hitting a punching bag may help release frustration or anger.
Join a support group. Support groups offer you the chance to talk with others who have similar experiences – this helps reduce feelings of self-pity and ‘why me’.
Seek professional help. A mental health professional can help you process any intense or complicated feelings that may surface during the grieving process.