For some of us, grief comes unexpectedly. For me, grief has always been. Grief, my constant companion and closer to me than a friend or a sister or a brother. Truth is, my grief is not something that people are capable of walking with me through it. It is just too much for people. My experiences are too much for people. My pain is too much for people. I am too much for people. So I walk alone. I get some help but I largely walk alone. Do I have the strength to keep walking in this desolate land? I have found moments of hope and moments where I thought that the worst was behind but it was all a mirage. Even still, I have this audacity to hope and to believe that it gets better, that it will get better. We can feel alone but there is help. As you struggle to find the help you need it can be daunting and incredibly painful. There is a way through grief.

Below I have found what has been helpful for me. Maybe it will be helpful for you.

Grief can feel like an uninvited guest, bringing with it a mix of emotions. It’s a natural response to loss, yet it can feel like a foreign intruder, disrupting our lives and leaving us feeling lost and alone. Ironically, grief has never disappointed. As much as grief can be uncomfortable and painful, what if we could see grief as a necessary companion on our journey, one that teaches us valuable lessons about love, loss, and the human experience?

7 Ways to Help Navigate Through Grief

1. Allow yourself to feel

Healing is messy. Grief is messy. Emotions can be intense. Allow yourself to experience the full range of feelings from sadness to anger to nostalgia. Feelings have nothing to do with morals and ethics. Feelings are a natural part of our human existence. It’s ok to be angry. It’s ok to feel all your feels. It’s ok!

2. It takes time

There is no timeline to grief. Don’t rush the process. Let it be! Heal at your own pace. You will find healing. You will find your new normal. You will again feel joy and be happy. You will once again experience the good things in life.

3. Seek Support

Join a support group, join a group with common interests, seek out professional help like therapy.

4. Honour your loss

Create rituals, do some creative writing or find a creative outlet, engage in activities that celebrate that person or relationship you have lost.

5. Find Meaning

Reflect on lessons learned, memories shared, and the impact of this loss in your life. There is a reason why grief is present in the loss we experience. It is because there was value there. This grief is because of the amount of love that was there and now that love not having anywhere to go but in rituals along with a little creativity that love has a place to be.

6. Practice Self-Care

Prioritize your physical and emotional well-being during this challenging time. I can’t emphasize enough at how important this is. You might have to ask yourself what this looks like for you.

7. Embrace memories

Cherish the memories, both the joyful and painful memories. These memories that we have is our story. They shape us. They become a part of who we are but our grief does not define who we are.

A part of me died on Feb 4th. And I don’t know if I’ll ever get that back. Maybe that’s the only way to gain back what I am supposed to and everything I lose has been the very thing holding me back from being who I really am.

May you find your strength and hope in a better tomorrow.