Starting Again: Healthy Goals for the Grieving Period
Guest Author, Camille Johnson
Everyone mourns differently but, grieving is a slow process. After the passing of a loved one, many of us expect too much of ourselves or to try and feel a certain way. Instead, it’s often healthier to find your own path to recovery. A contributing author to the Living to 100 Club shares a few steps you can take to get started.
Eating Healthy
After a loved one passes, it’s normal to lose your appetite and to shed your ordinary routine. During this period, it’s important not to pressure yourself to behave in any certain way. You should try to make sure that you’re eating something. Healthy versions of comfort foods like casseroles, slow cooker meals, soups, and stews can help in the colder months. And, it’s important to keep your fridge stocked with plenty of nutritious cooking ingredients. You may not feel compelled to stay well-fed now, but you’ll thank yourself for it later.
Decluttering
When grieving a loved one, it can be difficult to gather your thoughts. But to help with mental clarity, it’s important to keep the household clean. A decluttered, orderly living space can do wonders for your mental health. It can keep you on top of your negative emotions. You could even take this time to sort through possessions that belonged to your loved one. Decide to either keep them on display or find a safe place to store them in the meantime.
Staying Active
For a lot of people, a daily jog is a great way to sweat out feelings of anger, frustration or helplessness, this same principle can be applied to the grieving process. You might not feel like running straight away. That’s fine; instead, start slow with a walk around the block or a journey into nature, and try working your way up from there. Remember to also set realistic expectations; it’s important not to heap pressure on yourself in this fragile period.
Rethinking Work
After the passing of a loved one, you might find yourself rethinking many of your life’s complacencies. If you’re feeling unhappy or unfulfilled with your career, now could be the right time to change lanes. For example, the pandemic has caused many people to start their own businesses. If you go down this route, learn the details of starting a business so that you’re prepared to make a commitment. A business might be too much to consider, but going back to school is another option. Maybe now is the time to study art history, French poetry or anthropology.
Finding Humor
You may not find much reason to smile after recent events, but it’s important that you don’t prohibit yourself from laughing. Many find solace in reflecting on the funnier moments in the lives of their loved ones. Humor can prove an invaluable asset in overcoming and recovering from trauma. Make sure that, in addition to friends and relatives who are also mourning, you’re taking the time to see people who have no connection to recent events. It’s okay to take a break from thinking about and spending time with your grief, and it’s okay to poke fun at the situation, no matter how dire.
Life is never easier after the passing of a loved one and there’s no silver bullet for dealing with grief, but it’s important to keep yourself going all the same. If you can look after your body with good food, exercise and plenty of rest, your thoughts will soon follow.
Our guest author, Camille Johnson, has a website helping others to handle grief in a healthy way. She contributed this article for Club Members. The Living To 100 Club was created as both a news hub and a community for those with a passion for healthy aging. The Living to 100 Club offers inspiration and support to age successfully. Learn more, at www.livingto100.club.