Please note this is a partnered post and may contain affiliate links.
***
It is never easy to lose a loved one. No matter who you lose or how, it will always be a situation that is loaded with painful feelings, which frequently take a long time to digest. Although grieving is natural and is all part of the healing process after a loss, if you want to help yourself feel better, there are several things you can do to make the experience less difficult and unpleasant for yourself. Keep reading to find out more about how you can make losing a loved one a little easier.
Photo by Liza Summer from Pexels
Honor Their Wishes
Making sure you fulfill the desires of a loved one is one way to make their death a little bit easier to deal with. This is perhaps particularly important when it comes to their funeral arrangements or where they want their ashes strewn. You might even want to talk to them about the sort of headstone from memorials.com they would want after they’ve died, what clothes they would like to be buried in, or whether they want a funeral at all – you certainly don’t have to have one, and can opt for a natural burial if you prefer. Actually, by having this (admittedly tough) talk ahead of time, you can help make the mourning process easier when it does happen because you know you’re doing what they wanted; you don’t have to guess and worry you’re doing the wrong thing.
Another method to ensure that you are fulfilling their desires is to inquire about organ donation. Knowing if your loved one is an organ donor might help save the lives of countless others. Yes, it could be emotionally taxing, but it can, however, help to guarantee that you carried out your loved one’s desires to the end and that some good may emerge from the tragedy.
Remember The Good Times
Making a particular effort to recall the happy moments is one of the most essential things you can do while mourning the death of a loved one. Of course, how you do this is entirely up to you, but some individuals find that searching through old picture albums or social media accounts is beneficial. Just because someone is dead doesn’t mean you have to focus on the sad parts about losing them, and you certainly shouldn’t feel guilty for smiling or even laughing when you remember some great times you had together. The deceased person would certainly prefer you to be happy than sad, and if you keep that in mind, guilt won’t be a problem, and the healing process can begin in earnest.
Other options include gathering with others who knew the dead person after the burial to commemorate them and keep their memory alive – a wake or similar memorial celebration means that even a sad day like a funeral can end on a positive note. Others will go to locations that were the setting for a major event with the person they loved. What you do is up to you as long as it helps you. Remember, everyone grieves differently, so you need to do whatever feels right to you.
Get Extra Support
Although this may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you’re mourning the loss of a loved one, the fact is that counseling and speaking to someone can help a great deal. Many people have a problem with this idea because they feel their grief is a very personal thing – and that’s true. However, that doesn’t mean that talking about your feelings should be ignored. Just because you want to grieve in your own way doesn’t mean you can’t express your feelings and try to make sense of things with a professional there to listen and guide you through the difficult time.
There are a number of options available to you in this regard. The first is to seek help from a specialist grief counselor who will understand what you need and help you achieve the peace you’re looking for. If you don’t like the idea of speaking one on one with someone, then what about support groups? There are sure to be some in your local area, and as well as general grief support, you may even be able to find groups that are dedicated to one particular thing, such as the loss of a parent or partner, or death from a specific condition. When you join one of these groups, you’ll be surrounded by people who have been through similar experiences to you, and that can be very comforting – you’ll know you’re not alone.
***
If you’re interested in paying to have your work published on PO please check out our for sponsors page for more details.
I like this post but a lot of important issues are omitted. Planning for payment for the funeral is essential. Failure to do that can create discord and anger at an already stressful time.
I agree with much of this post but it doesn’t cover sudden or unexpected loss. Three young people have died recently within our community and not one was expected. It has been a very hard start to the year.