14/09/2023
It's important to allow time to grieve a painful event. It's also important to recognise that grieving can be a long process. Not everyone processes grief in the same way, and often people feel stuck in the grieving process for years after a loss.
It can be difficult for someone who has lost a parent or child to go on with their life as they once did, but feel they must carry on. So they put on a front. If you are a friend or family member of someone in grief it is important you recognise this front for what it is and offer support in whatever way you can.
Grief is a complicated, personal experience. There are many different ways that you can help a loved one through the grieving process, and each person will respond differently to certain approaches. Here is a suggestion that you might want to try:
๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ Don't assume that you know how they feel or what they need to hear, just listen. They may not even be sure themselves what they need right now, so just give them space to express themselves without judgment or suggestions for action.
๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ค๐ง๐! Grief can be exhausting, especially if it feels like no one understands what you're going through. Having someone who cares about you and wants to be there for you makes all the difference in the world. When grief feels like it's taking over your life having someone who listens without judgment or offering solutions will make it easier for them to open up about how they're honestly feeling.
๐๐จ๐ง'๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ซ ๐จ๐๐๐๐ซ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ; ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง!
It's important not to force someone who is grieving into some sort of normalcy that doesn't feel right for them. The goal isn't just getting through this tough time, it's finding ways of moving forward, ways to find joy, ways to feel better about life so we don't end up feeling stuck in the same place forever.
Grief comes in many forms and can include any event that changes your life, such as but not limited to; death, estrangement, illness, separation and loss of employment. If you, a family member or friend is experiencing grief, please reach out to talk to someone.
K x
