Dealing with sorrow after the loss of a loved one is hard, but not impossible. Find coping strategies that will help you live life again.
“You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair”.
~ Old Chinese Proverb
I found Sweet Sorrow: Finding Enduring Wholeness after Loss and Grief very helpful. Maybe it will help you too.
Dealing With Sorrow
The grief from the death of someone deeply loved cannot be mastered or conquered. You can learn to live with your great loss. There will be healing and health and yes, even joy again. But there can never be full “recovery” or a return to an untroubled past.
As the years go by, life has a way of giving pain and challenges to everyone. And the longer you live, the greater your chances of being hit by major grief. And there is no easy way out or quick cure for it. Such is life.
You may be tempted to lessen this tragedy in your life by numbing your mind with alcohol or drugs or escape from it by reading or watching TV incessantly. But it is an important part of eventual grief resolution that you experience and express grief fully, especially in the beginning.
It’s only later when you figure out that you need to function again, go to work without breaking down in the middle of a board meeting, that you will need some coping methods to help get you through the day. And we will provide them for you here.
Just don’t try to repress your grief too soon, or you’ll just have to deal with the whole painful process later in your life. And it will be more difficult and complicated later on. Sooner is better than later when it comes to bereavement.
Grief Survival Strategies
Dealing with sorrow…
We’ve constructed a truly helpful and practical grief survival coping guide for you here. These ideas and strategies came from other survivors of grief, just like you. They work! Read all about it here:
- Physical care – Take care of that body. Read about rest & sleep, diet & exercise, and alcohol & drugs. Things you might not have thought about…
- Emotional strategies – Keeping it together, about crying, and creative expressions of grief…
- Spiritual comfort – Dealing with the spiritual crises of bereavement
- Personal priorities – Treating yourself gently, finding comfort, postponing decisions
- Social support – Family & friends, activities, saving your marriage, and about the holidays…
Later in bereavement, you might be feeling overwhelmed by stress and anxiety from coping with it so long. Let us help you keep your stress and anxiety levels more comfortable. How? Learn specific strategies and tools in our free Stress management e-course.
Getting Outside Help
Support groups
Find others who have lost a loved one to talk to. A support group can give encouragement, guidance, comfort, and practical suggestions. They can lend a sympathetic ear when your friends and family have grown tired of hearing about it (and they will).
Find a list of some good local support groups and online forums here: Outside help.
Professional counseling
If your grief seems like it is just too much to bear, seek professional assistance to help work through your grief. It’s a sign of strength, not weakness. Get some counseling, especially if your grief seems to be damaging your marriage or family relationships.
For a thorough discussion of warning signs that indicate the need for professional help, click here: Do I need help?
Helpful Resources For Grieving
~Are you devastated by the loss of a loved one?
~Bewildered by all the strong emotions and crazy symptoms?
~Wondering how you are ever going to survive?
~Tired of being stuck in a complicated grief?
Back To Life! Our Personal Grief Guidebook might be just the help you are looking for. Read more about this most useful and practical recovery guide here: Back To Life!
In addition to the written guidebook, we also offer a unique audio program to help with grief coping and relaxation. If you think an audio approach might be helpful, consider this program:
