The older you are, the more likely you are to go through grief and loss.
Whether your sorrow stems from death, divorce or illness, it can feel insurmountable.
But it doesnt have to.
Weve assembled 25 strategies to help you manage feelings of loss and, ultimately, survive them.
To my eyes, its so clear that theyre in grief, but folks often dont see that.
So it starts with simply acknowledging grief.
Naming your grief helps you make sense of what youre experiencing.
Its almost like an anti-gaslighting phenomenon, Miller says.
No, youre not crazy.
You have been feeling weird.
And theres a good reason for it.
Grief and trauma arent healed in isolation … We need other people, he says.
Grief needs to be witnessed.
We need to tell our stories and be seen, heard and valued.
Diversify your support system
Grief researcher Lucy Hone echoes the importance of social support.
What we know about grief is that your social support system is the No.
And its also the No.
However, when youre building a support system, she says its important to diversify.
Listen to your body
Grief isnt just emotional.
Your feelings of loss and sadness will probably leave you fatigued, he says.
Your ability to think clearly and make decisions may be impaired.
And your low energy level may naturally slow you down.
Respect what your body and mind are telling you.
Caring for yourself doesnt mean feeling sorry for yourself; it means you are using survival skills.
Seek solace in support groups
6.
Stay active
Although self-care often requires rest,exercisecan be equally as important.
Grief is exhausting, so the temptation is to hunker down and lie on the couch, Hone says.
Without physical activity … you are making it harder for your mind, body and soul to recover.
Be authentic
Grief can be performative.
Mourners often behave based on how they want to be perceived instead of how they actually feel.
If someone says to me, Steve, Ive never had a good relationship with my mother.
She was always cold and withholding.
More than likely, youre going to be relieved.
And thats OK, Leder says.
Allow yourself to be around people who understand and support your religious beliefs, Wolfelt writes.
But dont assume that your faith protects you from grief.
You may hear someone say, With faith, you dont need to grieve.
Dont believe it, Wolfelt writes.
Express your faith, but express your grief as well.
Thats certainly true of grief, according to Wolfelt, who recommends that you move toward your grief.
Denying your grief will only make it become more confusing and overwhelming.
Embrace your grief and heal, he writes.
Leder agrees, likening grief to an ocean full of waves.
Just float with it until you might stand up again.
