The Pandemic has its effects on families all across the globe. Unfortunately, My family has been impacted tremendously by COVID-19. Aside from our lives being altered from day to day living, my family has suffered an expected loss that has shaken our world in a way we never would have imagined. In the past, I have struggled with healthy ways to grieve. I promised myself this time I would do my best to find better ways to grieve that I could not only share with my family, but with anyone else who may be suffering a loss during these trying times. Here’s a list of 5 things I’ve been doing to help make my grieving process a little easier.
1.Journaling - Each time my feelings start to overcome me, I write it all down. I take every single emotion I’m feeling and write it out until my head is empty. It has helped me control the wave of emotions that hit me in the middle of the day. The goal with journaling is to process my feelings as I'm letting them out. It has made it easier to cry if I need to and it makes the weight of the sadness a little easier to carry for me.
2.Reading- Reading is a great escape for the mind. Personally, when I’m reading, I am able to get completely lost in the content of the book. To digest what I’m reading, I have to keep my mind focused on the vision the author has written in the pages. Also, reading something with positive context has been great for lifting my spirits.
3.Meditating- Prior to my loss, I was unfamiliar with meditating. However, my therapist recommended guided meditation. For just a few minutes at the end of each day, I use the calm app. Some days, my grief is a little harder to deal with than others; I am unable to manage the sadness or anxiety with journaling and reading. Guided meditation has really helped to calm my mind and anxiety. It helps me to refocus and relax. Which gives me the peace of mind to process my feelings and rest well there after.
4.Therapy- I have been in therapy for over a year and it has been extremely beneficial. Since being in quarantine with my family, I have only had them to share my grief with. Sometimes we find ourselves bottling up our feelings because we don’t want to bring each other into a sad space. Thankfully, I have been able to do teletherapy with my therapist. There are days when I can’t process the amount of different emotions I experience. Sometimes, I even feel numb. My therapist has been guiding me through the steps of grief that I struggle to manage on my own. Having someone to talk to that is genuine, ready to listen and help me process how I feel is more than necessary.
Lastly,
5.Talk about it- Do NOT bottle up your pain and look for other outlets to escape it. Talk about it. Talking about my Grandmother, the memories we share, and sharing my sadness with my loved ones, has helped me deal. Some days I just need to talk about her
, I need to miss her and not run from it. Some days I need to have a cry. Acknowledging the weight of the loss I feel, and work through the sadness. I hate that she had to go, but I love everything she has left in my heart. Talking about her gets tough sometimes, but it makes it so much easier to reflect on the love we shared.
To those who’ve been affected by the pandemic, or you’re suffering a loss during this time, I hope at least one of the 5 five things I’ve listed can be of some help to you. Sending lots of love to you all! Stay Safe!