Dealing with the loss of a loved one
- There is no one right or wrong way of grieving. Working through your grief takes time and a lot of emotional and physical energy.
- Normal reactions to a death include feelings of sadness, shock, numbness, remorse, guilt, resentment, and even anger.
- The important thing is not to minimize or deny your grief. Unresolved grief will surface sooner or later and can affect your mental and physical health.
- Family and friends can give you emotional support to get through the grieving period and adjust to your new circumstances. Anniversaries, birthdays and holidays will be difficult, and you should anticipate and plan for them. Let your family and friends know what they can do to help.
- You may find help in a support group, where people who've experienced a similar loss can help you see that your feelings are normal and understand how your loss is affecting you.
- Losing a long-time partner means losing the most important person and the central relationship in your life.
- Adjusting to living alone and learning to be single will take a lot of energy and effort, especially if your identity and social position involved being part of a couple.
- Stay socially active, and look for ways to expand your social circle. Keep in regular contact with your family and friends. Make plans to get together with people, for lunch, for dinner and a movie, or simply for coffee.
- Joining a club, taking a fitness class, getting involved in your community, doing volunteer work, keeping up with your pastimes and hobbies, taking courses, traveling - these are just some ways of staying active.
- Stick to regular mealtimes and eat nutritious foods to help you stay healthy. The important thing is to take care of yourself.