Have you experienced a loss and it feels that no one understands your grief, including yourself at times? You are not alone. Many who have experienced a loss feel alone and often confused about what they are feeling. Here are a few tips to help you begin to understand your grief:
Know your limits. Grieving can be an exhausting process and understanding your physical and emotional limits is important. You may need to delegate some of your responsibilities at this time. Many people want to help at the time of a loss but don’t know how so don’t be afraid to let others know what you need. After experiencing a loss, your normal sleep may be disrupted. Your appetite may be affected as well. Even though you may not feel like it, meeting your physical needs of adequate sleep and nutrition will improve your emotional well being.
Dealing with the ups and downs. It is likely at this time that emotions will be up and down and unpredictable. You may feel able to smile and laugh one moment and then want to cry the next. These ups and downs are part of your grieving process. Embrace your emotions–laugh when you need to and cry when you need to because both can be healing.
Everyone grieves differently. Grief is a personal and unique experience for everyone. Learning about the different styles of grieving can help you understand that the way you express your grief may be different than those around you. Understand that just because someone may not be showing their grief the same way you do, doesn’t mean they don’t care.
Reach out for help when you need it. Feeling misunderstood and alone can add to the burden of loss you are already experiencing. Talking about your loss with your family and friends can be helpful but sometimes it isn’t enough. Seeking help from a skilled counselor can be a wise step to take when you are feeling alone or misunderstood.
These tips are just a beginning to understanding your grief. If you would like to learn more, please join me for a free seminar where I will use my personal experiences with loss along with my professional expertise to help you on your path toward healing.
Swinton Counseling is a proud sponsor of the Race for Grief. Find out more about the race at http://blonderunner.com/events/raceforgrief/
I also wrote a blog for an amazing site on my grieving experience. Feel free to visit it here: http://inconceivableut.blogspot.com/2014/05/understanding-your-grief.html
