Your Health's Journal

We all react differently to death and draw on our coping mechanisms to deal with the grief that comes with it. Research indicates that the passage of time allows most people to recover from the loss if they can count on the support of their social environment and maintain healthy habits. Coming to terms with the death of someone close to you can take anywhere from months to a year. There is no “normal” length of time to grieve. Nor should you anticipate that you will go through “phases of grief“, recent research has shown that most people do not go through these phases gradually.

Everyone grieves differently, and just because your mother or daughter or cousin or neighbor seems to be grieving differently or their pain isn’t quite as pronounced as yours, doesn’t mean you aren’t grieving in the right way. In fact, you might find that the grief can consume you, where you find it difficult just to get out of bed and go through the day. If this is happening, here are some ways you can get help.

1-Write in a Journal

During the grieving process, your thoughts and feelings go through quite a rollercoaster. If you are someone who doesn’t like talking to others about what you are going through, the next best thing is to write in a journal. You can keep this journal private so that you don’t have the added worry of others judging you. Use the journal to write about anything you need to, whether you are trying to find something positive out of each day, journal your experience as you grieve, or vent about what angers and saddens you during this time.

2-Try Meditation and Mindfulness

Both meditation and mindfulness can be used alone or separately to help you through the
grieving process. They are not meant to rush you or force you to move on from the loss,
but help you understand what you are feeling, get to the point of acceptance, and then learn
how to live a positive, fulfilling life even with this massive loss. It can feel impossible right now, but the more you practice clearing your mind and understanding how to be more mindful in each moment, you will see that it is very therapeutic.

3-Find Someone to Talk to

Try to find at least one person you can talk to when it feels like your grief is consuming
you. This can be anyone you feel you can freely talk to without judgment. It might even be someone you least expected, like a neighbor or a co-worker, or a friend you haven’t been close to in a while. Reach out to someone you know and trust and let them know when you need to talk through your grief.

4- Look for Distracting Activities

Try to find activities that distract you at least momentarily. You are looking for activities
that will not detract from your health (like heavy drinking) but will give you at least a few moments of peace. This might be painting or drawing, writing, reading, watching something that makes you laugh, or going for a walk.

Coping with the loss of a close friend or family member may be one of the greatest challenges we can face. The death of a partner, sibling or parent can cause especially deep grief. We may see the loss as a natural part of life, but we can still be overcome with shock and confusion, which can lead to long periods of sadness and depression.

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See you soon,

Ludmilla!