5 Ways to Deal with Grief

5 Ways to Deal with Grief

By Top Funeral Home

Grieving the loss of a loved one is a challenge like no other. When a death takes place, you are bound to experience a wide range of emotions and feelings, even if the death was expected. You may be familiar with the five stages of grief, but the grieving process is different for everyone. These five stages of loss do not necessarily occur in any specific order but you can expect to experience denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance as a part of the framework to learn how to live without the one you have lost.

Our team at Top Funeral Home has some suggestions to help you on your journey to acceptance:

Understand That Grief is Normal. Understanding that grief is a normal response to death is an extremely important part of the grieving process. Accepting your feelings of grief is a key strategy when we grieve.  

Allow Yourself to Mourn. Mourning is the outward expression of grief. If you allow yourself to feel all the pain, tears, and intense sadness that death brings and don’t push those feelings away, then this will help the process run its course and help you begin to heal. Everyone mourns differently but it is a critical process to help adapt to loss.

Take Care of Yourself. Grief can often take a toll on your health. It can result in a lack of sleep, appetite, and interest in daily tasks. These are all factors that greatly affect your overall health and well-being. While grieving, it is important to make sure you are taking care of yourself. Try to get as much sleep as you can and eat a healthy diet. It can also be beneficial to do something physical. Whether it is a daily walk, a trip to the gym, or any other physical activity, exercise can help you deal with your emotions.  

Lean on Friends and Family. Although you may not want to talk about the loss you have experienced, it is important to spend time with friends and family. It is common to feel alone during grief and you may want to avoid others. However, the support system around you is essential in moving forward in the grieving process.

Be Patient. It is important to remember that grief is unpredictable and you cannot know exactly to expect. It is common to be caught off guard by a moment of intense grief and it is important to remember that this is normal. People experience grief differently and it is normal for the process to take longer than others would expect. Remember to be patient and that gerieving is a unique process to you.

Our partner, Hodroff-Epstein Memorial Chapels, offers many grief support services in order to help you cope with the loss of your loved one:

  • The Center for Loss and Transition is a leading provider of information and inspiration of illness and dying, loss and grief, healthy caregiving, life transition, and spirituality.

  • GriefNet is and Internet community of persons dealing with grief, death, and major loss. They have a variety of email support groups for all ages.

  • The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization is committed to improving end of life care and expanding access to hospice care with the goal of profoundly enhancing quality of life for people dying in America and their loved ones.
  • Subscribe to Letting the Sun Shine In Daily emails. These daily emails provide encouragement and support during the healing process.