The death of a loved one can be one of the most traumatic experiences a person can ever have.I learned having to process how life will be without your loved one can feel overwhelming, especially if it is the first time you’ve experienced the loss of a loved one before. Here five ways to cope with the death of a loved one will help you navigate through this difficult time and help you to remember your loved one without becoming mired in grief.
1) Give Yourself Time To Grieve
Every person is different and some people may take years to overcome a death, while others take less time. No matter how long it takes, you need to remember to give yourself time to grieve and heal. There will be instances in your day-to-day life where you’d normally turn to that loved one–for support or care–and realize that they’re no longer with you and it will be hard to deal with. Death is overwhelming for those living through the aftermath, so understand that coping comes with time. Be sure that you don’t rush through processing your grief, or put up a front to make other people happy. The only thing that matters is your mental health and healing, regardless of how long that takes.
2) Surround Yourself With What You Love
It might feel hard to enjoy yourself when you’re processing the death of a loved one, but one of the best things you can do to keep from falling into despair is to surround yourself with what you love. This can be people, objects, or even experiences, but what’s important is to spend time doing things that make you feel happy. You might experience guilt while practicing this step and that is natural, but you don’t need to be bogged down by it. Your loved one would want you to go on enjoying life, despite their death, so remember this and remember to appreciate the good moments you still have now.
3) Make Time For Exercise
Exercising can be a major challenge for those who are coping with a death, but it is important. Exercise releases endorphins that make you feel better, so getting out of your home and into the gym or into nature will go a long way to helping you process your grief. Grab a friend and get moving. Try not to let yourself stagnate in your home, alone, as the inclination will be hard to overcome. Death makes everything feel more challenging so you might have to fight to implement this step, but it is important to make sure to take care of yourself after a death. Grief will tear you down if you let it, and exercise is a great way to combat the impact that grief can have on your life.
4) Make New Memories In New Places
A great way to cope with the death of a loved one is by making new memories in new places. You don’t have to travel far, but often getting out of your home or even your neighborhood can go a long way in helping you to let go of your grief. At first, you might be inclined to surround yourself with places and things that remind you of your loved one, and this is natural and fine. But if you find that you feel smothered under the weight of your memories, striking out and having new experiences can help. Traveling helps you to remember that the world is a beautiful place, even in the face of grief, and helps you build new memories that you can treasure. You don’t have to forget your loved one, but allowing yourself to live your life without constant sadness is key to helping you cope.
5) Remind Yourself That Your Feelings Are Valid
No matter what you’re feeling, be it grief, anger, acceptance or anything else, your feelings are valid. Coping with the death of a loved one is a traumatic experience and there is no one way to process it all. Some days, you might be sad, and other days you’ll feel happy. You might even be angry at your loved one for dying, which is very common. Death is a permanent separation from not only a person but a way of life that predates their death. Live is changed by death and the living use a variety of methods and feelings to cope with this truth. Every feeling you have during your coping phase is valid. Acknowledge your feelings and allow yourself time to feel whatever you need to in order to cope with the death of a loved one.
During times of darkness, your light will shine upon us your smiles will never be forgotten. Your love will always be present in our lives along with positive memories.
I recently switched to The Abide Bible I love it! The articles allow me to understand things from a different perspective. I started using the five ways of engaging to really apply some of my learnings:
- Praying Scripture: Pattern your prayers after biblical texts, personalizing the prayer and gaining language for the thoughts and emotions you want to express.
- Picture It: Place yourself in a biblical narrative as a bystander or participant in important events.
- Journaling: Focus and reflect on Scripture and its meaning for your life, opening yourself to God’s voice as you ponder.
- Engage Through Art: Consider a classic piece of art—photograph, sculpture, painting—and let it deepen your meditations on scriptural truths.
- Contemplate: Follow the church’s longstanding practice of reading, meditating on, praying, and contemplating a passage of Scripture in order to experience God’s presence through the words of the Bible.
Here are some of The Abide Bible highlights:
- Bible book introductions provide a concise overview of the background and historical context of the book about to be read
- 365 Day Bible Reading Plan guiding you through the entire Bible in a year
- Line-matched, single-column Scripture text for improved readability
- Smyth-sewn binding lays flat in your hand or on your desk
- Two satin ribbon markers allows you to easily navigate and keep track of where you were reading
- Easy-to-read 9-point NKJV Comfort Print
I am not looking to press religion on anyone just sharing my path toward healing.
If interested feel free to check out The Abide Experience: 21 Days in John, a FREE
Video Devotion featuring Dr. Phil Collins, general editor of the Abide Bible, a
Bible designed around five methods of Scripture Engagement that will change the
way you read Scripture. The 21 Days in John FREE Video Devotion also provides a
free download of the book of John from the Abide Bible.
queenthrifty.com 
Wonderful advice for such hard times. Every grief is unique & these are great ways to deal with it. Thank you!
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