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Grieving and Growing: Caring for Yourself While Honoring a Loved One

Grief is a natural process of life, but it can be difficult to work through especially when we are grieving the loss of a loved one. It can be hard to find a balance between honoring your loved one and still caring for yourself. Here are some tips to help manage grief and honor your loved one while still maintaining balance in your own life.

Managing Grief With Care

Managing grief is something that everyone will experience differently. It's important to be aware that grief can come with a range of emotions, from sadness and guilt to anger and acceptance. Rather than trying to rush through the process or force yourself into a particular timeline, Psych Central recommends that you allow yourself the space to work through each emotion without judgment.

Prioritize Self-Care During Grieving

Grieving can be emotionally taxing, which is why it's essential to prioritize self-care during this time. It's important to get enough sleep, eat nutritious meals, and stay active with exercise or walks in nature. Engaging in unhealthy habits like drugs or alcohol will only worsen the situation, so it's best to avoid them as much as possible. Taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally is key to healing and growing through grief.

Develop Positive Coping Habits

Stress and grief can be overwhelming, but it is important to find healthy ways to cope with these emotions. Journaling, writing letters, creating art, listening to music, and cooking favorite dishes of those we have lost are some of the helpful coping mechanisms available. Developing a daily routine that includes activities such as meditation or relaxation exercises can also offer comfort and support during this difficult time.

Seek Comfort & Love From Family and Friends

It can be helpful to reach out for support when feeling overwhelmed by grief. Friends or family members who have gone through similar experiences can offer invaluable insight and advice on how to best manage emotions during this time. You may also want to consider joining support groups either online or in person so that you are surrounded by people who understand what you’re going through and can provide support without judgment.

Honoring the Memory Of Lost Ones

It can be difficult to deal with the loss of a loved one. But honoring their memory is one way to start the healing process. There are no wrong answers – think of something that will be meaningful to you. 

You could host a memorial service or celebration of life, create a special memory box of photos and mementos, volunteer in an organization related to their interests, plant flowers or trees in their memory, dedicate something special on holidays, or do something they would have enjoyed on their birthday and death date. Goldstein's Funeral notes that acts of remembrance can help keep your loved one's memory alive while providing some comfort during grief.

Memorialize Loved One with Plaque     

A bronze plaque is an excellent way to honor and remember those who have left us. It provides a physical manifestation of our love for them, even after death has taken them from us. Finding bronze plaques for buildings, park benches, a garden, or memorial wall at a charitable organization can help to keep the memory of someone special alive, despite the passage of time and the finality of their passing. The words on these plaques remind us that love never dies and those we cherish will always remain in our hearts forevermore.

Although dealing with grief can be overwhelming, it does not mean giving up hope. There are many options available today to help make sense of the heartache and sadness felt after the loss of someone close, whether due to tragedy, illness, or other causes. We can always find a way to keep their memory alive while also taking time to learn how to care for ourselves during these difficult times.