The loss of a loved one can be an impactful experience and one that leaves you wondering where to go next. The reality is that grief looks different for everyone. How you navigate life without a loved one may be a vastly different experience from how someone else copes. That being said, there are some common ways of going about it that may help you work through this difficult time. If a loss has recently taken place in your life, here are a few coping strategies for grief after the loss of a loved one.
Reach out for professional mental health support.
Grief can be difficult to navigate alone, especially if you’re dealing with complicated grief or if your grief transforms into a mental health disorder like depression. But while you might feel alone at this point in time, there’s always support. After you’ve taken care of all of your loved one’s affairs and you’ve had time to process a bit on your own, reach out to a therapist with the proper credentials and experience. A therapist will be able to support you with personalized care as you work through your grief, provide continued guidance as you navigate life without your loved one, and help you get the professional support you need to deal with complex, powerful emotions. Just look up therapists in your area (like, “therapy NYC“) and get started!
Reduce your grief and stress by getting help with the funeral or memorial service.
After a loved one passes, it falls on you and other family members to deal with the funeral service or memorial and other such activities. But much like it is with your mental health, you’re not alone during your time of need. If you decide that you want to cremate your loved one, for example, there are funeral service providers out there that can walk you through the cremation process, provide you with cremation services and other essential services like filing paperwork, and ensure that your loved one gets the beautiful memorial that they deserve. As with the above, you can get started by looking up “crematorium near me“.
This brings up another great way to cope with grief, and that’s finding ways to memorialize your loved one at home. Once you have an urn, you can easily establish an altar at home complete with candles, flowers, and a great picture of your loved one. Of course, you can also plant a tree in their honor, purchase jewelry that you can always carry with you to remind you of them, or even buy something like a digital photo frame that keeps photos of them playing regularly. No matter what it is that helps to make you feel less heavy, find ways to help you work through this time of grief.
Develop a strong support system of friends and family.
There are plenty of things that you can do on your own to work through grief. However, having a community that you can vent to and work through your grief with can be an invaluable tool at this point in time. For some, their support system may consist of professionals, close friends, and family members who are also impacted by the loss. For others, helpful companions like pets can play a role in their healing journey as well. Make sure that you have others you can rely on as you grieve so that you’re not trying to take it on and navigate your everyday life all by yourself.
Grief is a complex response to loss, but there are ways to work through it. If you’ve recently lost someone close to you, look deeper into the strategies above to see how you can get help and work through the grief you’re experiencing.