There’s no bandage for healing the emotional wound of loss, and there’s no roadmap for navigating it quickly. It is a life lesson where each person must find their own way through it, while looking for the points of light along the way to guide them through the process.
Don’t be afraid to lean on your friends whenever you’re feeling low. Accept their invitation to dinner or a movie. Let them drag you to garage sales or a local event. Allow them to distract you for a few hours.
- Take time to grieve.
- Surround yourself with caring people who will listen when you need someone to talk to.
- Join a support group and talk to others who are dealing with the same things as you are.
- Anniversaries of the passing of a loved one can bring on tremendous sadness. This is natural. It will get easier as the years go by.
- Start a tradition to honor your loved one. Make a donation to a charity in your loved one’s name.
- Remember humorous events spent with your loved ones. Tell their stories.
- Laughter is the best medicine. Find something that makes you laugh.
- Listen to cheerful, uplifting music. Sing your heart out.
- Remember to take care of your own health. Eat nutritious foods and take vitamins.
- Occupy your mind. Read a book. Start a project you’ve been putting off. Take a trip.
Keep Moving Forward
- Don’t avoid people during the holidays. Visit with them or invite them over to potluck.
- If you don’t already, start exercising. Take a walk with a friend. Join a gym.
- Explore a new hobby, or revive an old one. Reconnecting with an activity you once enjoyed can revitalize your thinking.
- Volunteer in your community by helping others.
- Find a way to feed your spiritual side.
- Plant a tree in memory of your loved ones or have a star named after them.
- Keep a journal of your thoughts and feelings.
- Take a walk along the beach or nature trail and have a talk with your loved ones. Say anything that comes to mind.
- Spend time with your family or relatives.
Be patient. Although the pain will lesson, the loss will stay with you. Sometimes it will preoccupy your mind and you may feel like it happened only yesterday. When these setbacks occur, focus on taking it hour by hour, and day by day.
Don’t try to block it out. Embrace the important role your parents played in your life and acknowledge their investment in you as a person. You can honor their memory by becoming someone that they can be proud of. And always remember that you are not alone.
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