Grief occurs whenever we experience loss. We tend to think about grief in terms of the death of a loved one but any situation in which we experience loss can result in feelings of grief. Our grief can also be anticipatory.
We don’t yet know what we might lose but we have a sense that further loss is possible, we just don’t know when. This leads to difficulties in how we deal with this kind of grief.
The kind of losses that may occur in the current situation may be things that we have been fortunate enough to take for granted in the past; the opportunity to work, to physically connect with loved ones, to travel, to participate in sports and social activities, or to go to the shops knowing that what we need will be available.
Grief may show up at any time and can include:
- Awareness of feeling on edge but not always understanding why this is – an increase in hypervigilance is a common response to challenging situations.
- Feeling upset or angry about things that you can’t control.
- Feeling resigned to a ‘worst case scenario’ as way of mentally and emotionally preparing for the worst.
- Being more avoidant or withdrawn from others – this can lead to increased feelings of anxiety and depression.
- Feeling completely exhausted – the body’s response to trauma can leave us feeling depleted especially in a situation where that ‘fight or fight’ feeling is chronic and ongoing.
Helpful ways to cope with these feelings of grief may include:
- Validate and affirm your feelings – not everyone will cope with grief in the same way and it is a good time to be compassionate to yourself about how you are coping. The grieving process doesn’t take any particular form or stage and it is normal for feelings of grief to come and go in waves over time.
- Bring it back to basics – eat well, drink lots of water and get as much rest as you need.
- Connect with others even when this feels hard to do – human connection is critical to our wellbeing and is even more important when we feel like doing the opposite.
- Prioritize rest and relaxation – practise mindfulness and relaxation and focus on getting an appropriate sleep routine in place.
- Express yourself creatively – have a go at a hobby you haven’t done for a while or take up a new one. Try journaling or setting up a blog.
- Talk to a professional – Mates4Mates psychologists provide telehealth therapy sessions which can help you to work through challenging times. Call 1300 4 MATES to schedule an appointment.
To read more about dealing with grief, read more from How ‘Anticipatory Grief’ may show up during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Source: www.healthline.com