Home | Living Life Lab | Life Skills Tool Box | Managing Grief Strategies
- Acknowledge the pain
- Don't bottle up pain you are experiencing.
- Establish a consistent sleeping routine.
- Regularly write in a journal or maintain a blog or vlog to share your journey with friends.
- Don't become a hermit.
- When accepting invitations give yourself an out (such as leaving early) instead of "all or none".
- Challenge yourself.
- Ease into change.
- Start a new tradition.
- Make new memories.
- Honor the person who died by talking about them.
- Celebrate the memory of your loved one by having a butterfly release
- Remember the person who died with a balloon release.
- Make a donation in honor of the person who died.
- Display a photo of the person who has died.
- Don't set unrealistic expectations with your emotional well being.
- Remember that you don't always have to be strong.
- Display movie quotations that have special meaning.
- In the moments of feeling intense loss turn on a LED candle.
- Consider making or purchasing an ornament for your Christmas tree in celebration of your person's life, memory and impact on you.
- Setup a cork board of special memories. Start with this being themed around memories of the person who died. Over time allow this to change and evolve to achievements and reflect your impact on the world around you.
- Your address book will change. Help will come from unexpected places creating new contacts. At the same time some relationships will reach their natural conclusion.
- Let go of useless guilt. The grieving process may affect the expectations and pressure you put on yourself.
- Don't put off the opportunity to do kindness. However don't use being kind to others as an excuse to work through the grieving journey.
- Find satisfaction in a hobby or building relationships.
- If you are receiving input from others consider if this requires finessing to your personal needs or affiliation in life. Have the grace to understand well meaning suggestions may be offered and come from good intentions.