6 Tips for Coping

When a loved one dies it is a really hard thing to deal with. We get showered with all sorts of emotions. Coping with it can be emotionally and physically draining. A big way that we tend to cope with death is by avoiding the certainty that it is real. One day it feels real and one day it doesn’t. Blocking out the fact that it actually happened helps us to move on, but eventually it will hit us that it is real, and we do have to deal with it. Here are some tips to help cope:

• Accept your personal feelings—it is normal to go through the grieving process. It is also important to express your feelings rather then to repress them.

• Cry—it’s natural and helps to get everything out, if even for a minute. So guys don’t be afraid to cry and show emotion. For me personally, I do not cry as much as I used to. When I really sit and think about my dad, that I am never going to see him again, that is when it starts to hit me. I will have a breakdown at random times, one little thing that reminds me of him, and I am a mess.

• Talk about it—with a good friend, or family member. This helps you to remember the good times, and is a necessary part of the grieving process. A good friend of mine lost her grandfather to cancer a week ago. In order to cope, she has talked to her parents and siblings—they have helped her to realize that he is no longer in pain.

• Maintain healthy habits—since this is physically exhausting, eat a nutritious diet. Get the proper exercise and rest. Avoid unhealthy habits like alcohol, excessive eating, abusing drugs, and smoking cigarettes.

• Honor your loved one—when holidays come around, it is going to be hard, especially the first time. You should honor your loved one, and maybe go out to one of their favorite restaurants, or something that sparks an old memory. This will help you keep the memory alive, even though it is not. Your loved one wouldn’t want you to sit around moping, they would want you to move on with your life.

• Avoid major decisions—don’t move or change careers immediately after, this will only ad stress.