Coping with the grief and loss of a loved one is something excruciating and challenging to explain. In fact, losing someone is undoubtedly one of the toughest challenges in life. Yes, we all know that death is inevitable, but still, when we lose a sibling, parent, spouse, child, or partner, we are hit by sadness, shock, depression, and confusion.
When we suffer a loss like this, we go through two different phenomenon;
- Sadness: Which gradually diminishes with the passage of time.
- Grief: It is a long-term process and is important to overcome these feelings and remember our loved ones.
Moreover, every person copes with such events in different ways. Different coping mechanisms operate to protect the individuals psychologically and reduce the stress level at that moment. These coping mechanisms help people to adjust to their loss and initiate the grieving and healing process. Most importantly, the psychological effects of a death of a loved one vary greatly, and it is difficult to explain every single one of them.
However, we are going to discuss how to deal with a death in the family or the death of a loved one.
6 Effective Ways To Deal With The Death Of A Loved One – Coping Mechanisms For Grief and Loss
#1 Join In Rituals
Funerals, memorial services, and other traditional rituals can be very helpful in getting through the first few days. It feels nice to honor the dead and hear good things about them. Besides, the presence of people who loved or admired the dead is also very comforting.
#2 Release Or Express Your Emotions
It is perfectly normal to feel sad, exhausted, frustrated, or even angry in such circumstances, and it is equally important to release or express your emotions. If you want to cry, do it; just don’t feel stuck or overwhelmed. However, if you feel it is getting out of your hands, talk to a mental health professional or a licensed psychologist so they can help you cope with your feelings grief and loss.
#3 Talk About The Death Of Your Loved One Whenever You Can
Talking to a friend, colleague, or family member about your loved one who died is helpful because it helps you understand what happened. Also, it helps when you remember those who died; don’t avoid it. This is important because avoidance may lead you to isolation and interrupt the healing process.
#4 Preserve Memories
You can pay tribute or create a memorial for your loved one who died by doing charity, planting a tree or garden, or any other way. Death anniversaries can be a good activity if you organize them to honor the dead. For instance, on a death anniversary, you can collect donations for charity; feed the hungry, or pass on a family name to a baby to honor your loved one.
You can create a memory box with photos, quotes, mementos, or anything related to the deceased. You can write “imaginary” letters to them and express your emotions feelings.
#5 Take Care Of Yourself And Your Family
The grieving process can be very hard on your body as well. Make sure you get plenty of sleep, eat healthily, and exercise regularly. Most importantly, make sure your other family members are doing the same and help them in any possible way.
#6 Join A Support Group
If you don’t have close family or friends around you, you can join grief support groups. The thing is, you don’t have to be alone with your pain or feelings.
The solution to a problem is not to run from it. Rather, we need to face, embrace and let our emotions flow as they are. Losing someone is always painful and coping mechanisms with grief and loss are even more challenging. But you can do it in a better way by following the above-mentioned tips.
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