Self-Care When You’re Grieving – Practical Advice

Grief can take a tremendous toll on your mind and body. You’re likely to experience a series of intense emotions – shock, disbelief and sadness, among others. Plus, you may need to shoulder responsibilities related to your loss, such as telling people about your loved one’s death, making funeral arrangements or organising a house clearance.

As a result, it’s all too easy to overlook your wellbeing. But the reality is that self-care (i.e. ‘doing things that preserve or improve your mental or physical health’, in BMI Healthcare’s words) is never more important or beneficial than when you’re dealing with something as difficult as bereavement.

Self-Care Helps You to Cope with Your Loss

‘Self-care during grief can help you suffer less,’ the Mindfulness & Grief Institute points out. Looking after yourself makes you feel stronger, more positive and more able to cope with your loss.

If you think you’re too busy, don’t worry. Self-care, when you’re grieving, doesn’t need to be time-consuming or complicated, as the following advice makes clear.

Be Your Own Best Friend

‘While we are grieving, it becomes even more important to show ourselves compassion,’ remarks the Counselling Directory.

Treating yourself like you’d treat a close friend is an excellent first step on your self-care journey. Be kind to yourself and less self-critical.

Spend Time in the Great Outdoors

If grief is sapping your energy, take a walk in the fresh air – you’ll soon feel reinvigorated.

Visiting green spaces lifts your mood and reduces stress, as well as improving your physical health. According to the Mental Health Foundation, even just five minutes’ exercise outside makes a difference.

After exercising, find a quiet spot (sit on a park bench, perhaps) and focus on the effects nature has on your senses. This will give your mind some respite from the grief.

Express Your Emotions

Don’t be afraid to express your emotions – you need to acknowledge and release them in order to heal.

As well as talking to loved ones (and possibly a therapist), you may find comfort in pouring your feelings onto paper. Writing a heartfelt letter is a wonderful way to remember someone dear, especially if there are things you wish you’d had the chance to tell them. Keeping a grief journal, in which you record memories and feelings, is also beneficial.

Do Something You Enjoy Each Day

Whether it’s baking bread or watching a film, doing something you enjoy daily will make you feel calmer and more content. It’s also a good way to add structure to your days amid all the upheaval.

Please don’t feel guilty for enjoying yourself a little. It doesn’t mean you’re not grieving ‘properly’. It means you’re looking after yourself.

Get Plenty of Sleep

Because you’re under more strain than usual, you’ll feel more tired. Getting enough sleep should be part of your grief self-care routine. The Sleep Foundation recommends that adults get seven to nine hours’ sleep nightly. Avoid caffeine, have relaxing baths, turn off your smartphone and always go to bed at the same time.

Professional, Caring UK Funeral Stationery Supplier

We understand that planning a funeral order of service can be an emotive experience, especially if you were very close to the deceased. With that in mind, we strive to make the process of creating personalised funeral stationery as easy as possible. As we discussed above, it’s important to look after yourself and reduce stress when grieving.

Our professional, caring approach has led to hundreds of five-star reviews from customers around the UK. Our customer service is, as one of our recent customers emphasises, ‘outstanding’.

We proudly offer:

• Exclusive funeral stationery templates – they encompass everything from funeral order of service templates to templates for funeral thank you cards.
• An easy-to-use online editor – save your progress as you go; you don’t need to do everything at once.
• Help videos – we walk you through the online editor’s features.
• Phone support – if you need extra help, you can call us on 01824 708 804.
• Free next working day delivery – simply order by 10 am on any working weekday.

Funeral Stationery Designed for You

We’re committed to going the extra mile. That’s why, in addition to templates, we offer a bespoke design service: funeral order of service booklets done for you.

Our done for you option could be particularly helpful if grief is making you feel overwhelmed. We’ll take the responsibility of making memorable funeral stationery off your shoulders. Simply put, our done for you service leaves you with more time to take care of yourself.

When you want to pay tribute to someone dear, you can rely on Funeral Stationery 4U.