In 2022 (almost 2023), there is so much stress in the air. We are all recovering from the devastation of Covid, our everyday lives, being moms, being wives and daughters. Then there is the upkeep of our social lives and our kids’ social lives.
What do we do when life hits us with some unexpected news though? New relationship dynamic, divorce, Covid outbreaks, natural disasters, chaos in the city, new jobs, lost jobs, loss of family members in all capacities… all of these things throw a wrench in the proverbial spokes of our wheels of life.
Here are 10 ways to deal with grief that have been proven to be helpful:
- Singing– or any way to have a moment (or a few moments) of controlled breathing. It doesn’t matter if you carry that tune well, what matters is being able to breathe through a moment that seems overwhelming.
- Dance!- We all love to shake it, right?! It is proven that physical activity jump starts the release of certain chemicals that make us feel better.
- Write– Often grief can jump start some pretty complex emotions. Sometimes those things either won’t make sense to another or it is just too personal to want to share. A great alternative is to write. After writing things down some people get relief from tearing the paper up and throwing it away.
- Drawing– Remember being a kid and being stress free was so much easier? Turns out, studies have shown, that art therapy has been a huge tool for trauma and grief recovery.
- Painting– While drawing and painting are both art; painting specifically can be therapeutic through the simple concentration on the flow of a brush and how the colors mix together. Which requires much less direction than drawing.
- New Hobby– When you find yourself in a time of grief sometimes changing things up helps tremendously. This is a great time to get into a new hobby. Maybe that local running group or sports league is calling your name. Take the chance and get out.
- Venting– Having a few people or even one person that you can let loose to when you just need to talk about it, is very important. If you don’t have anyone to vent to, the new 988 Mental Health Crisis Line is a really good place to start to find resources.
- Binge Watching– We all do it. With all these various platforms available, or even the good ‘ol TV, there is no shame in taking a day (or 3) to tune the world out to process and veg out with some good show and movie binging.
- Crying– Grief is all about learning to cope with a sudden and unexpected change, what ever it may be. It’s okay to cry. It is actually necessary to cry in major grief situations. There is never a situation so small that it isn’t actually worthy of the tears you shed. Honor yourself and what or who you are grieving.
- Get Enough Sleep– This seems like a no brainer, however it is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of trying to re-level life while grieving. If you find your self getting less and less sleep start setting nighttime routine boundaries. Turn your phone on DND. Choose an activity that brings you peace and is low-energy like reading or doing a puzzle. Don’t eat or drink any caffeine and lay down at a decent bed time.
None of these is a cure-all, by any means. They can help lessen the weight, though. Life can seem impossible when things suddenly change in catastrophic ways. These 10 ways to cope are 10 out of so many ways to heal.
