Grief is a normal response to a loss we experience. In fact, grief is not only normal but also necessary. It is the way for our brains, and our hearts, to process and eventually accept our new reality. Healthy grieving doesn’t mean we forget; it simply means we can look at our loss with a sense of peace and acceptance rather than only pain. If you are struggling with your grief after your loved one’s cremation services in Elba, NY, here are some tips to help you grieve in a healthy way.

Practice Self-Care

Although taking care of yourself during this time might seem like the furthest thing on your mind, ensuring both your mental and physical wellness is looked after needs to be a priority. How do you do this?

• Nutrition– Take care of yourself by making sure you are eating enough and eating healthy foods. If you don’t feel like preparing meals, look into having meals delivered that you can simply reheat in a microwave or oven. Also, make sure to get plenty of water each day and stay away from sugary drinks and alcohol.
• Physical Activity– Get up and get moving. You may feel unmotivated at this time to get up and do anything but keeping your body active helps get your blood flowing and muscles working which not only helps your body feel better, but it also actually helps your mind think more clearly. So get up and go for a walk, take a yoga class, clean the house, rake the yard…just anything that will get you up and moving.
• Mentally– Your mental health is extremely important at this time. Make sure you do things that nurture it. Go to a park and reconnect with nature, meditate, write regularly in a journal, start a gratitude list, do something nice for someone else, or talk to a spiritual leader.

Surround Yourself with Support

Losing someone we love is one of the most difficult things we experience. Don’t try and work through this alone. Surrounding yourself with support can truly help lift you up and help carry you through this process. Support can come from many sources.

Some include:

• Talking with friends
• Joining an in-person grief support group
• Talking with a grief counselor one-on-one
• Connect online with others who are grieving with an online group
• Be open to accepting support from other sources when offered

If you are not one to normally open up and share your emotions, accepting and leaning on this support may feel difficult in the beginning. Just trust that it is helping and continue with the process.

Other Considerations

There are a few other things you can do during this time to help you that you may not even think of. First, choose your entertainment carefully. Movies and T.V. shows can intensity already strong emotions.

Next, don’t feel guilty if you happen to laugh or find joy in something. This will get easier as time passes, but the feelings of guilt may stop you from letting yourself feel the good emotions; don’t let it. Know that your loved one would want you to feel joy and happiness again.

Lastly, accept and acknowledge your feelings, Know that they are valid, and accept and deal with them as they come. If it’s the sadness you feel, don’t be afraid to cry. If anger is showing up, let it out by going for a run or hitting some baseballs at the batting cages.

If you need more resources to help with your grief after your loved one’s cremation services in Elba, NY, please reach out to us anytime as we are always here to help.