When we think about grief, we often associate it with the five stages of grief that are widely known. However, healing is not linear and people experience grief in different waves.

Grief is a multilayered and complex feeling that we may not always understand. Whether we realize it or not, we’ve all been experiencing grief this year, as we’ve experienced the loss of our everyday lives before the pandemic. It’s a natural response to loss that we all have to learn to cope with.

Whatever emotions you’re feeling as a result of grief are valid. It’s okay to feel whatever you’re feeling during this difficult time.

Symptoms of Grief 

We all experience grief differently. However, there are some common symptoms of it that can be identified:

• Feeling numb or angry
• Unable to feel joy or feeling intense sadness
• Excess fatigue
• Trouble eating or sleeping
• Socially withdrawn

Experiencing grief can be difficult because it comes in different waves. For whatever stage of grief you’re feeling right now, here are some tips for managing your grief:

Pay Attention To Your Emotions

It helps to acknowledge your range of emotions fully. If you’re feeling sad, allow yourself to feel sadness by journaling about it or even having a good cry. Letting yourself fully experience your emotions means that you are moving through it. 

It’s essential that we allow ourselves to feel as much as possible to let ourselves genuinely heal. Keeping our emotions locked away, whether for ourselves or others, can only cause them to resurface later and sometimes worse. 

Stay Connected To Others

It may feel easy to shut people out if you’re going through a difficult time. However, it’s more important than ever to lean on our support systems while experiencing grief because they can help us through it.

Friends and family are the best sources of emotional support when someone is going through a difficult time. They can offer empathy and understanding, as well as encouragement. It’s also important to maintain contact with loved ones who live far away because they can help provide a perspective that is not available locally.

Adapt Your Routine

It’s okay if your old routine has become disrupted recently. Try to still have a loose routine for yourself to follow, but also take it easy on yourself and know that it’s okay if you aren’t able to stick to your past routines.

There are many ways you can adapt your routine. You can change the time of the day when you do certain things like eating or exercising, you can make time for new activities that may be more difficult to fit in before, or even change up what days of the week you do certain things on.

Take Comfort In Your Hobbies

Having a creative outlet can help us through difficult times. Pursue a hobby during this time that gives you fulfillment and helps you process the grief you’re experiencing. That could be through doing art, listening to music, or spending time outdoors.

It is important to know that you are not alone in this. There are people who have walked through similar paths and what we can do is to take comfort in our hobbies and creative outlets.

Having a creative outlet can help us through difficult times. Pursue a hobby that gives you fulfillment and peace of mind during this time. 

Other Helpful Resources:

Living with Grief and Loss
Grief and Loss Counseling
Coping with Grief and Loss After a Disaster