9 Healthy Ways To Deal With Death or Loss

1- Acknowledge the Emotions- there is no escaping this. You have emotions and initially it is important to allow yourself to feel and express them. Your emotions can range from sadness to angers, resentment , frustrations... find an outlet to release them. Some options for managing emotions are; talking to friends and family, working out, journaling, or support groups.
2- Honour Your Loved One By Living – there is what we call ‘survivors guilt’ where people stop living and can go into morning, sadly, sometimes forever. This is the last thing your partner, parent, child or friend would want for you. Remember that; they would want you to live, to feel alive, they would not want to be the reason you gave up. You can miss them and at the same time honour them by living.
3- Perspective – remember though death is difficult it is also very normal part of life and it is a reminder of how little we actually know. We don’t know what happens to people when they die, where they go...why they go - death can be an unconscious reminder of how little we truly understand life.
4- Acceptance- their physical presence may be gone however their legacy lives on. Nothing can undo the experience of love and joy you shared with someone. Look for ways to honour them in a manner that has you feeling powerful and alive. It may be creating a charity for your loved one and one of their passions, do it with gratitude for what they brought to your life.
5- Be in the moment – they will always be a part of you and your greatest power is found living in the now. Push yourself to be active, try new things, accept invitations, it may take some time eventually it will get easier – the key is to put yourself into the surroundings of people and new activities regardless of what you feel like at the moment.
6- Remember the Great Times – and do it in a manner where there is joy. Feeling sorry for yourself will slow down the healing process and can result in long term depression and other physical ailments. Keep your memories in a healthy context.
7- Reach out- now is the time to reach out to people, open up, be engaged, accept that helping hand. We are meant to be connected with others, put aside the pride or the need to get through things alone and let people in. People, love, hugs are a catalyst for healing. Let it happen.
8- Goals- One of the greatest gift you can give yourself is a goal. Take a cruise, open a new business, renovate your home, join a group or simply get out there! When we create things in our future we are less likely to get stuck in the past. It also support us in feeling ALIVE!
9- Make a difference for others- One way to expedite the healing process is to talk to others on what you went through and what helped you dealing with the pain and emotions. When you reach out to others not only are you in the moment but you are able to step outside of the pain to get another perspective. This is truly a gift.