Grief is the emotional response you feel when you lose someone or something that you loved. Grief Therapy is very helpful as Grief is often extremely painful, people who suffer from grief may also have to endure unwanted physical reactions such as loss of appetite and sleeplessness. The duration and intensity of the emotional and physical suffering varies from person to person. There is no one correct way to grieve. It will be a different experience for everybody each time grief is experienced. Just as there are many different ways to experience grief, there are many different ways a person can help themselves cope with grief. Below are five ways to help manage feelings of grief.
Reach Out To Friends And Family
Numerous studies have shown that people who are experiencing emotional pain manage it better when they are in the company of others, even random strangers. Seeking out friends or family members who can hold space for grieving individuals and listen with a compassionate ear can provide much-needed relief from the pain and sadness of grief. If a grieving person can find someone who is experiencing the same loss, or has experienced a similar loss in the past, they can support each other through their grief.
Get Out Into Nature
Spending time walking along a lake or through a forest of trees can go a long way to easing the pain that comes with loss and grief. Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is often practiced in Japan and brings many benefits to the bather. The sunlight, wind, and proximity to trees and water can comfort a grieving heart. The fragrance of the forest alone can provide calm and relief to the soul as well as helping individuals to manage their grief. Forest bathing is a practice of just being in nature and opening all of your senses to it. Humans have a primal connection to the earth yet spend the bulk of their time holed up in cities. The fresh clean air alone can help a grief-stricken person breathe easier.
Maintain Your Routine
When an individual sticks to their routine, even while experiencing grief, it will give them a sense of normalcy in their lives. When a person stops following their routine, they may feel a sense of loss that compounds and exacerbates the emotional suffering they are experiencing. Deviating from an established routine can feel like another loss when that grieving person really needs to feel a sense of stability. Continuing with routines also encourages those who are grieving to continue their hobbies which in the least can offer a distraction. Creative hobbies such as painting, drawing, or playing music can offer an additional outlet for individuals to express their feelings of grief.
Experience Your Feelings
Feelings of grief can be expressed in a multitude of ways. The grieving person should allow their feelings to take whatever shape they need to. Letting go of the expectation of how grieving should happen can release a lot of pressure on the individual who is grieving. Allowing tears to flow and releasing the emotions of grief is healthy. Grieving individuals should feel free to listen to sad songs, hold their loved one’s clothing, and anything else that they may need to do.
Work With A Grief Therapist
If an individual’s grief is not subsiding or is greatly disrupting their life, they should consider working with a grief therapist. Grief therapy can assist individuals by helping them process and deal with their overwhelming feelings of loss and sadness. Sometimes the pain and physical effects of grief cause individuals to miss work, avoid social situations, and sink into depression. A skilled and compassionate grief therapist can guide a suffering individual through their feelings and help them enjoy life again.
If you or someone you know is suffering from grief, reach out to Life Changes Therapy, home of grief therapy Mississauga in the GTA. Our kind and understanding grief therapist can help you no matter how deep your suffering and sorrow are.
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