In this world, what we have is only borrowed time, and everyone is just making the most out of it. Sooner or later, it is inevitable that people will have to face the pain of losing a loved one. This would probably be one of the hardest things that anyone will have to endure. When you have gone through a thing like this, sometimes you wonder how you’ve been able to handle everything from the time you learned the news, set up the funeral arrangements, and headed back home after the interment. But this is just the start. You know very well that you have to move on and keep on surviving. This is not easy, and the fact is, there is no telling how long the pain will last. All that you can really do is accept the loss.
Acceptance is easier said than done but there are coping mechanisms you can follow to lighten things up for you.
Take Time to Grieve
Allow yourself to cry, you are entitled to feel the hurt. Nothing good will come out from suppressing it. This might affect your health if you hold it in. Better for you to vent and wallow as much as you need to. Know that there is no straight way of dealing with this and it is you who will decide how much time you have to spend on this. Also, do not isolate yourself. Reach out to the people who care for you and be honest about how you feel. That way, they can better understand what you are going through and respect your needs.
Find Your Strength
However hard it is, you should not lose sight of what lies ahead and think of the people who are still beside you. Find strength in them and focus on what you kind of person intend to become after all this. No matter how things might change, you must be willing to adapt and alter your future plans if that will help. Just know that your loved one who passed on would not want you to give up on your dreams. They would always want you to be happy. Recall what ambitions they have for you and act as if you are still fulfilling it for them.
Try to be back on your feet and slowly do the stuff you love doing or find new adventures. Connect with your friends or go on a trip or return to work when you are ready. This will take your mind off what happened. It might be helpful to create a schedule of activities for the next few days or weeks to keep you preoccupied. Remember that the process of recovery will begin from you as others can only do so much. The willpower to move on and continue with life will come solely from yourself.
Cherish the Memories
When you lose someone, it does not mean that you have to forget them to end the pain. Their memories will always stay. The goal is to get to a time when remembering them would not hurt as much anymore. For some, it can take years. But no matter how long it takes, the fact is you will reach that point eventually. As mentioned, you can draw inspiration from reminiscing the moments you have with them. There are actually a lot of stories of perseverance you can read that stemmed from when they lost someone so dear to them. If others can use this as a strategy, so can you.
Coping with a loss is going to be hard at the start because the longing is there. All your attempts to move on will be tough. So it will be truly important to find ways that could aid you in managing through the situation for your appeasement and overall well-being.
