How To Deal With Grief In A Healthy Way

It’s Okay To Feel What You Feel

First and foremost, allow yourself to feel what you feel. It’s okay to cry, it’s alright to be angry, and it’s even acceptable to celebrate what you once had in your life and show gratitude for that opportunity, thing, or being. Embrace every emotion you feel because it’s going to be a wild ride that will take you through immensely complex feelings you didn't even know you were or could experience. It’s your body, your heart, and your mind, and each one has unique feelings that contribute to how you will handle your grief and work through it.

Allow the pain to move through you and go through each phase of grief. Embrace the pain and surround it with love. It sounds like a cliche, but by having a more open response to your feelings, it will help you heal faster with a clearer understanding of your loss, which may help you in the future when you cope with similar situations in the future. Also, remember to be kind to yourself and allow this natural process to take over. Rushing through different stages will only hinder your healing and leave you feeling overwhelmed, and often not truly dealing with the loss and moving on with your life.

How Long Will I Feel This Way?

There is no ‘normal’ or prescribed amount of time to grieve, and your grieving process depends on multiple aspects, such as your age, beliefs, personality type, and support network. The type of loss you experience is also a significant factor. For instance, dealing with the loss of a job, the ending of a relationship, or losing a loved one are three very distinct types of losses that require different amounts of time to process. The loss of a loved one will take a significantly long time and be more difficult to process and cope with versus the loss of a job. But, it is true what they say: time does heal all. The sadness eases with time, and you’ll be able to experience joy and hope along with grief and be able to return to your regular daily life.