There are few things more heartbreaking in life than losing a loved one, and especially so when it was unexpected. From nowhere, your life has been turned upside down, and you’re not sure how to make it the right way around – or if it’ll ever be that way around again. It will, in time, but you’ll first have to go through the grieving process. Below, we take a look at a few ways you can cope with your loss in a healthy way.
Feel the Emotion
You’re going to want to do anything but confront the pain that you’re experiencing. You may go into denial or any of the other steps along the grieving process. While it’s not enjoyable to feel sad, it’s part of the journey towards coming out on the other side intact. There’s no reason for you to hide the emotions you’re experiencing. If you feel like crying, then cry. Of course, if you have a child, then you’ll want to think about hiding these mini emotional breakdowns from them, but when you’re in a safe space to do so, feel free to let it all out.
Honor Their Memory
They’re gone, but they’re not forgotten. Some people like to scrub all trace of their loved one from their life because it’s too difficult to bear feeling their presence. But instead of making it feel like they were never there, why not flip this on its head, and instead, celebrate what they brought to the world, rather than what you lost? You can honor their memory in a number of ways. You can continue the traditions you started when they were alive. You can talk to them. You can make sure their photos and other keepsakes are a presence in your life, and so on.
Get Justice
When a person dies unexpectedly, it’s possible that it was through the carelessness or actions of something else. In this case, part of your healing process will involve getting justice for the person that was killed. This can take various forms. In some cases, it may require getting the police involved and going down the criminal charges route. In others, it may mean working with a firm like www.seekingjustice.com and bringing a wrongful death lawsuit against the responsible parties. In so doing, you’ll be getting justice, and helping yourself heal at the same time.
Talk it Out
Humans are social creatures, and, as such, we’re not supposed to keep things bottled up inside. If you’re really struggling to cope with the loss, then talk it out with someone you trust or a professional. If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, you can write in a journal – it’s a great way of freeing yourself from the thoughts that are making it difficult to move on.
Be Patient With Yourself
Whatever you do, be patient and kind to yourself. This is one of the toughest times of your life, and it’ll take time to make it through the other side, to have the energy you need to do great things – but you’ll get there eventually.
