Nothing hurts as much as losing someone close to you in life. Having to grieve while still moving forward with your responsibilities and job can be enough to push anyone over the edge into a stressed mess. There’s nothing wrong with grief or trying to work through the complicated feelings that are whipping through your mind, but the stress is enough to eat some people alive. If you’re not sure how to work through this, and you want to move forward with your life, here are the top ways to get through the stress of grief.
Be Creative
What creative outlet do you have in life? Apart from your job, where does your artistic side thrive? Did you play the piano as a kid? Do you like to paint? Think about what kind of creative endeavor you could undertake that would allow you to feel more connected to the person you lost. Although this may seem like an enormous undertaking, you need to be patient with yourself. You don’t have to be a professional or create gorgeous pieces; you have to make something that allows you to express yourself. You can do this action through baking, drawing, painting, interior decor, or even stained glass art.
Talk to Others
Be open to talking to other people who understand what you’re going through. Support groups exist for individuals and families to discuss what they’re going through. Where you go to Providence Hospital in DC or find a local group online, try to find someone who understands you. You don’t have to talk immediately in these groups; you can listen initially. Just know that eventually you should open up and let your pain out.
Move Your Body
Exercise creates endorphins, which in turn give you the happiness and excitement of your teen years. You don’t have to join a marathon or a competitive sport, but you should take the time to know your body and what motion you like. If it’s running, treat yourself to some good shoes- if instead, you love to swim, buy some Bluetooth waterproof earbuds. Find a way to push yourself into motion in a fun way so that you’ll be able to enjoy the port.
Make New Patterns
If the person you lost was someone you saw every day, or even just once a week, create a pattern in your life so that it won’t feel like a gap is there. You can make this work by taking that time to treat yourself to an excellent coffee or a new movie: but don’t let that be a time that you linger and miss them. New patterns help you move forward with life.
Don’t Bury Yourself In Work
The worst thing you can do while stressed out and grieving is to take it out on yourself and throw yourself into work. Although keeping a healthy working attitude can be useful, allowing it to consume your whole identity is terrible. By letting your job absorb you, you’re not letting yourself grieve or work through the pain. Take some time off, if you can afford to, and try to be patient with yourself.
Originally posted on January 18, 2021 @ 11:03 am