"The pain of grief is just as much a part of life as the joy of love; it is, perhaps, the price we pay for love, the cost of commitment." - Colin Murray Parkes
"I'm sorry to hear that you're going through a difficult time". Just saying words out loud and acknowledging the pain can mean everything.
Everyone's grief journey is unique. This guide is meant to help provide support and offer some helpful ways to sympathize with friends or family experiencing grief.
Understanding Grief
- Stages of Grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
- Grief is a natural response to loss and everyone experiences it differently.
- There are physical, emotional, and psychological aspects of grief.
- Healing is a non-linear process, and it's okay to experience setbacks.
Coping Mechanisms
- Discuss healthy coping mechanisms such as seeking support from friends and family, therapy, and support groups.
- Activities that can help to cope include journaling, exercise, or creative outlets. Our Taylor Lee Comfort sympathy gift boxes are tailored to comfort and offer useful tools to help in the healing process like our journals, pens and notebooks.
- Offer to take an exercise class with them, set up a standing coffee date, join a book club together, take them to the movies, plan a weekend trip together, offer to help go through their piles of mail, write thank you note cards, (for all the flowers they probably received), walk their dog, mow their lawn, sweep their front porch... You can get as creative as you want to have reasons to just be present and there for them without asking "what can I do to help?"
Building a Support System
- Don't wait for them to reach out to you or feel like you are bugging them if you reach out. Send that text, call them or send them a card or care package to let them know you are thinking of them.
- If they are open to it, talk with them about their loss.
- If you feel they are in danger of hurting themselves suggest the role of professional help, such as counseling or therapy.
Memorializing and Remembering
- Discuss ways to honor and remember the person or thing they've lost, whether through rituals, memorials, or creating a tribute.
- Share your own experiences of their person or pet with finding meaningful ways to keep the memory alive.
Moving Forward
- Explore the concept of finding a "new normal" and how life can evolve after loss.
- Discuss the importance of self-compassion and allowing yourself to experience joy again.
- Be present and be patient with your grieving loved one and help them to seek help when needed. Remind them that healing is a unique journey, and it's okay to take things one day at a time.