Every Loss is Valid and Every Loss is not the same!
Loss is a part of life! Coping up with losing a friend, or a family member is one of the hardest challenges that we face. Our bond with others and the peace in being together is the most beautiful thing in life, and the end of one such relationship can be a life-changing experience. It changes our outlook towards how we see life and what is of actual value.
The emotion that we feel when we lose a loved one is termed grief. Depending on the circumstances of the demise and the relationship you had with the loved one, you may experience unexpected emotions from shock or anger to guilt, sorrow, and disbelief.
Though losing a loved one is a universal thing and is faced by all at some stage of our lives, the pain that is felt is different for everyone. One’s reaction may depend on many factors such as life experiences and the relationship one had with the lost loved one. In such times, the key to right healing is to stay motivated and have hope towards life.
Here are some tried tips and pieces of advice on how you can stay motivated after facing a loss:
1. Surround yourself with your loved ones
It is understandable that when one is dealing with grief, they may go through many emotions such as sorrow, anger, regret, and guilt. We may feel that no one will understand us and hence stay alone. Realize, that the loss may be painful for other family members too. It is important to spend time with them and deal with this hard time together. Caring for others is a motivation to take care of oneself.
2. Let out your Emotions
Expressing and letting your heart out about whatever you feel at the moment is a good way to heal. Try to be with people to whom you can express freely and they can help you take care of yourself. Our environment and the people we stay with make a tremendous difference in how we can stay motivated and move forward in life.
3. Make a gratitude list
It may seem like a simple thing to do, but making a gratitude list holds a lot of power. We tend to lose hope in life because of the present circumstances, and we forget the bigger picture. When we make a list and jot down all the good, we automatically become more positive and motivated in life. Being thankful for everything that we have helps us stay happy and content.
4. Take care of your health
When we are dealing with grief, it’s not only our mind that goes through the emotions, our body feels it too. Our mind and body are connected and hence the body experiences grief too. Though we may lose our appetite, it is important to nurture our body with healthy food and lots of water.
Physically we may not be able to work out or do exercises, but it is important to force ourselves to get up and get at least some walk and stretching so that our body has the strength to get us through the rough phase.
5. Stay Outdoors/Travel to stay motivated
When a family member or a person close to you passes away, it becomes difficult to distract oneself from that, especially if your home or surroundings keep reminding you of the lost person. While you may not feel like leaving your house, forcing yourself to stay outdoors can do a lot to help one stay motivated in life. You can explore new things and engage in new activities, which will help you stay busy in the right way.
6. Channel yourself towards your passions or hobbies
We have heard stories of how people gather the strength to turn their grief into motivation. Though in some stages of grief it may seem very difficult to do all of this, if we try to adjust our thinking and move towards our goals with tiny steps, we will surely be able to do something big.
One can either choose to pursue more of their hobbies, open up the business they always wanted to, or indulge with some non-profit organizations.
7. Consult a professional counselor or grief therapist
If you feel that your emotions have become too much to bear and you aren’t even able to connect with family and friends, consider taking professional help from counselors specializing in grief counseling. There are many counseling and funeral services such as the Last journey who help in finding the right therapist for you. They help people in building resilience and developing strategies to get through the phases of grief.
Losing a loved one is indeed a painful experience. If we give ourselves time, try to adjust our thinking, and force ourselves to take care of our physical health, we will surely come out stronger and better.