Easing the journey of grief requires attentiveness on the part of the person grieving and those around them. Here are some tips I have found helpful.
Perhaps one of these will also ease your path through loss.
If you are the friend of grieving person, perhaps this list will inspire you to reach out and offer specific help.
- Seek out a Grief Ally – someone who has had a similar loss or someone who is simply willing to share their journey so you don’t feel as alone.
- Give Yourself Something To Look Forward To – a special trip, lunch with a friend, a weekly hike or exercise class, a movie.
- Keep A Dream List of Things You Still Wish To Do – It can be hard to still imagine life without the one you love. However, keeping a list of dreams, desires and hopes you still have can be a simple step toward a future that includes renewal and re-imagining.
- Create A Memorial Garden – A memorial garden is a beautiful way to honor a loved one. They don’t have to be elaborate or require a lot of maintenance. Nor are there any rules. Make it quiet and contemplative or full of color and whimsy.
- Friends Can Ease Grieving – Allow yourself the company of friend who will listen and sit with you. Either in person, by phone, or on Skype. Doing this daily in the early months is vital.
- Create A Memory Book – Collecting photos and writing down memories can help a grieving person feel connected to the memory of their loved one. If children are in the home, it can be a great way for them to express their grief and memorialize their relationship with the deceased.
- Behold Nature – Taking a simple walk outside can center us and connect us with the bigger life forces around us. Consider doing this once a day or a few times a week. Listen to the sounds of the natural world and let them comfort you.
- Do An Activity That Honors Your Loved One – I cook for sure, but I have also donated to causes my husband was passionate about. I take time to read the poems he loved to our daughter. I have traveled to places he found beautiful. Each time I do one of these, I feel his love comforting me in my loss.
