Seven Healthy Ways to Grieve the Loss of a Loved One

Regardless of their age or cause of death, losing a dear friend or family member is never easy. When the time comes to grieve a loved one, many people in our society feel pressure to grieve the “right” way—i.e., to stay strong and to put a time limit on how long they can feel sad. But the truth is that the grieving process is going to be different for everyone, and when a loved one dies, you deserve to do what’s best for you.

From our funeral home in Chicago, IL, here are a few guidelines that will help you grieve in your own way, and ensure you have the time, space and support system to do so in a healthy manner:

• Don’t purge their belongings: If you lived with the deceased family member, you may feel like you ought to dispose of their belongings, to give yourself and the rest of your family a fresh start. But being surrounded by a deceased loved one’s things can give comfort during a difficult time. You can sort through them at your own pace, in your own time.
• Make your own memorial: Whether it’s a photo, a piece of artwork or a notebook where you write down important memories, it will be comforting to have some sort of memorial set up on your own, so that you can still feel close to your loved one during the grieving process.
• Encourage emotion: Crying, anger, confusion, disbelief—all of these emotions and more are a part of the grieving process, and you don’t need to bury any of them. Some days, you may even find yourself laughing at a happy or humorous memory of your loved one—and that’s okay, too!
• Relax: If you are fortunate enough to be able to take time off from work after your loved one passes away, take advantage of this opportunity to rest your mind and body, as grieving can be exhausting. Allow friends and family members to help with everyday tasks, so you have some time for yourself.
• Embrace the unknown: If you are a religious person, you can take comfort in your faith’s beliefs about the afterlife. But if you aren’t sure what happens to people after they die, don’t feel like you need to have all the answers. Meditate on the possibilities, and choose to believe what feels right for you.
• Accept support: Your friends, relatives, colleagues and neighbors want to help you through this difficult time, so don’t let pride get in the way. Accept their support, both in practical and emotional matters.
• Give yourself time: There is no set timeline for how long you should grieve someone, and some days may be much harder than others. Don’t put pressure on yourself to feel “over it” by a certain time.

If you have recently lost a loved one and are in need of a funeral home in Chicago, IL, we welcome you to call Marik-Baken Funeral Services Ltd. We can help with the logistics of planning a funeral, so you can focus on grieving your loved one.

Categorised in: Funeral Home

This post was written by Writer