As someone who has closely looked grief in the eye and continues to guide people through it, I have a basic idea of what the experience is like. I am also aware that recovery from grief is rarely smooth, and it takes time, effort, and support for people to regain some normalcy.
Since grief recovery isn’t linear, it is easy to feel frustrated, especially if you don’t know what to expect. Therefore, I have prepared this blog to give you a basic idea about what recovering from grief may look like, so you can easily notice signs of progress.
What Recovery from Grief May Look Like
Although people have unique journeys when processing grief, there are some similarities in how the mind processes this emotion. Most people go through five stages of grief, each equally important for the recovery process.
- Denial– ‘This can’t be happening!’
- Anger– ‘Why is this happening to me?!’
- Bargaining – ‘Maybe *assumed action* will make it stop or delay it.’
- Depression– ‘There’s nothing left. I no longer know what to do. I can’t move on.’
- Acceptance– ‘I am sad about what happened, but it is a part of life. I can move forward without being burdened by my grief.’
As I mentioned before, grief recovery isn’t linear, so people often go back and forth between these stages while they process it. Problems arise when societal norms or personal restrictions prevent them from exploring each step and bringing shame into the recovery process.
Following are emotions you can expect when recovering from the grief that you shouldn’t feel ashamed about or suppress:
- The need to cry or vent because you feel distressed and overwhelmed.
- Feel a sense of emptiness even after considerable time has passed since the loss.
- Recalling memories and becoming upset well after you thought you had healed.
- Feel the need to spend some time on your own to process your emotions.
These feelings are part and parcel of the healing and recovery process, so you should never feel pressured to hide them away.
Tips for Grief Recovery
Permitting yourself to feel complex emotions is only the beginning of the recovery process. Here are a few tips for grief recovery that will help you through this tough time:
1. Seek Support
Do not feel guilty about asking for support to get through such a difficult time in your life. There is nothing wrong with relying on people you can trust for emotional and spiritual support.
2. Express Emotions
Caging emotions will give you the opposite results of grief recovery. Suppressed emotions become buried inside the mind instead of getting channeled out. The unaddressed trauma they carry needs to be processed to become harmless, so feel free to cry if you need to.
3. Take up a New Activity
Grief often takes away energy and motivation, especially when past activities become a reminder of the loss. Therefore, take up a new activity to indulge in. it will give your mind and heart a break while creating fresh memories that make you smile.
Wrapping Up
I hope that my tips about recovering from grief will help you find the guidance you need. You can also read my books, each elaborating on grief extensively for people suffering from it.