Coping with the death of someone you love dearly is no easy feat. Loss can be taken quite severely, and you can find yourself helpless amidst it all. If you’re currently going through such a situation, here are some ways on how you can put some order and sanity in your life.
1. Get the details down
While the passing of a loved one can be painfully emotional, it involves many practical responsibilities. Before you allow yourself time to grieve and be on your own, choose the right funeral director. With the help of a coordinator, you can make certain events flow much easier, outside of personal requests by the deceased.
Consider the dates for the services, the date of burial, how many will be expected to visit, and the overall flow of the ceremony. If your loved one’s an expat living in Spain, availing of funeral planning services will greatly help.
2. Talk about it
Grief is a heavy burden to bear alone. It isn’t healthy or sensible to keep it all inside and not talk to someone about how this affects you. Not everyone can handle loss the same way, and this means there’ll be different reactions in the long run.
If you feel burdened emotionally, make it a point to talk to someone whom you can fully trust to respect and honour your feelings. This can be a family member who shares your own pain or a friend who can deeply sympathise with you. Otherwise, you might get more out of talking to a grief counsellor.
3. Observe your stress levels
Expressing one’s grief is just a part of the process. You should also be on the lookout for other signs of emotional stress. Are you feeling more anxious and helpless at this time? Do you seek to be alone more often than usual? Do you crave more social interactions than what you’re used to?
Death can make changes to a person that don’t feel sudden but affect one’s lifestyle in the long term. Take care not to lose track of your emotions and your health.
4. Follow a routine
Sometimes, a death in the family can put a serious stop to productivity. This is understandable, and you have every right to work on yourself. However, you shouldn’t lose your daily routine completely.
Remember to follow the basic rules of self-care, which are hinged on simple procedures that you perform on a regular basis. Take a shower, brush your teeth, eat when you’re hungry, and sleep when you’re tired.
5. Rest, despite all objections
There’s nothing more dangerous to a grieving person than the lack of rest. True, you can be focused on getting things done for the funeral. Yes, you are the eldest sibling or the leader of the family, so you need to be strong for everyone.
Hiding your sadness behind work is deceptive. It only makes the pain last longer if you don’t share it with others or, better yet, grieve in the quiet of your room.
With all of this in mind, remember to be kind to yourself. You deserve to have a good life despite such a loss. Take your time when coping and remember to work on your recovery one day at a time.