How you can cope with the loss of a loved one during lockdown

Coping with the loss of a loved one can be very difficult, especially during this quarantine period. With social gatherings prohibited and burials taking place as soon as possible with only close relatives in attendance, it can really be difficult to find a balance after a loss.

Traditionally, family members and friends gather and help in the mourning process, but not even this is enough to help the pain pass. In the current coronavirus situation, one is left, more or less, all alone to deal with grief.

Grieving is not forgetting your loved one. It simple helps you free up the energy bounding you to your loved one.

Here are ways that can help you cope with the loss of a loved one:

Do not isolate yourself

When you lose someone, all you can think of is getting away from everyone and crying your sorrows away. This can be harmful to your health, and it may lead to depression.

You need a clear channel to release all your feelings. Do not cube your emotions, call your friends and family members and honour your loved ones memories. Cry if you can, let it all out. As John Green puts it in his book – The Fault in our Stars – pain demands to be felt. There is a reason why the pain is here, and in order to heal the wounds paining us, we need to address the wounds and feel the pain.

Ask for help

Grief is something everyone goes through at some point in life. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. You can consider getting a therapist to help you go through your healing process. As a professional, a therapist will also know the right steps to take you through your grieving process.

You can also talk to someone you trust as this can be therapeutic. Human beings are naturally cautious of what people will think of them once they show weakness, but by talking to someone you trust or a therapist, you are in a safe space and you can freely open up about your feelings without fear.

Watch your health

With the loss of a loved one comes unplanned responsibilities. The mourning period can be overwhelming. As much as you have things to take care of, never forget you need to eat, hydrate and sleep. This is not the time to start comparing yourself to others and wondering what you could have done differently, this will only lead to depression.

As morbid as it is, never blame yourself for the loss of a loved one. This also includes the people around you, remember you all lost someone in your lives and they are feeling the weight as much as you are. You can call and check up on them.

Take time to mourn

When it comes to lose, everyone reacts differently and employ different ways of dealing with grief. Most people avoid mourning by upping their schedules and keeping themselves busy. This might work for some who are resilient but for others it might only make coping with the loss of a loved one take longer.

It is important that you take time out of your normal schedule. Take some time out of work and mourn the loss of your loved. People mourn differently, never compare yourself to others.

It might take you a year, others six months but the sadness will diminish as time passes by. Getting back on your feet might take time but do not be hard on yourself, it will come back to you as time goes by.