If you're grieving a loved one that has passed on, know that you're not alone. However, grief is a subjective process. Everyone goes through it differently — and that's OK.
Sometimes, it seems like the grief will never end. Even though you will surely always miss the main one you lost, it doesn't mean that the life's joys are over. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the emotions, in the “I'm sorry for your loss” messages, or the funeral gifts that don't quite make things OK, realize that this is temporary. Luckily, there are some healthy ways to start healing. Keep reading for our 7 top recommendations.
1. Meditation
Meditation will help you process many things, including grief and trauma. Meditation has become a way for many people to relax and reflect even if this practice was started by the Buddhists. If you're in the midst of the grieving process, try meditation. You can even find apps that provide guided sessions.
2. Write letters for your departed loved one
This is a way to speak to your missing loved one within the moments you'd really like to. It's also a way for you to organize your ideas and emotions surrounding their loss. It will help to not only be able to verbalize these emotions but additionally to see them written on paper. Moreover, you can keep your loved one updated on their families, express what you miss about them most, and even just to find a cathartic method of grieving.
3. Find a distraction in entertainment
One way you can distract yourself without eliminating your emotions entirely is simple entertainment. While ignoring grief can become problematic, sitting with it 24/7/365 won't help you either. Finding a new show to look at, going to the movies once a week by yourself or with friends, or going to comedy shows can make for a worthwhile distraction from nagging thoughts of loss. You will surely need some moments of peace from them.
4. Seek out a therapist
This is standard practice after a loved one passes on. Seeking therapy will help you deal with the feelings you can't understand on your own. Seeing a therapist enables you to build trust with someone new and discuss things you would rather not share with family or friends. Plus, it offers a superior the release you need to process this sort of feeling. It also helps you realize that you don't have to go through this alone.
5. Travel
If you have the time and capability to travel for a while after facing the grieving process, you will should. Getting out there and seeing a new part of the world, exploring nature, meeting new people, or just seeing all of the joys that life continues to have to offer can help you greatly on your grieving process. This will provide positive experiences to help you move forward with your life and give opportunities for reflection. You can even find little ways in which you can honor them while you travel — by wearing their clothing or jewelry in a few places they loved, or by leaving those pieces behind in said places in their memory.
6. Make a playlist
Having a playlist that you could listen to when you're missing your loved one will help you stay connected to them. It'll also remind you of fond memories. Fill your playlist with songs or albums you enjoyed together, songs that make you think of them, and then play it when you're feeling down.
7. Find other people who know the feeling
There are so many people who are grieving. Don't feel like you're all alone — you're not. Finding a support group of fellow grievers or setting up one yourself can help you share your emotions that you struggle to discuss with other people who don't understand. These groups don't even need to be somber, they can be a time in which you remember your departed family members fondly, where you make dark and funny jokes to be able to combat the impending tears. Or, you can just feel free to air your grief with another person who gets it.
There's no “right” or “wrong” method to grieve. It's personal to each individual who goes through it. So never worry that you're handling it poorly or too slowly. Take it day by day, and do what you can to think back fondly around the one you lost.
