Dying to know more- Grief & Loss
Last month, we held a great session called ‘Dying to know’, having hard conversations about death and dying. Having final arrangements made and I provided some great tools including tips on how to create an emotional will, final checklists and resources to other content. If you would like to join one of my informal workshops, send me a message, I would love to discuss this more with you.
The topic of death and dying, grief and loss are important to me. With my own lived experience of profound loss, I can empathise deeply with others who experience this.
I find it interesting that our Australian culture still finds this subject taboo. I love the thought that we can talk about this more, but we can also respond to people grieving in a way that is appropriate and comfortable.
Grief and loss affects so many parts of our life. We can have accumulative losses, losing more friends and family, our beloved pets, loss of relationships, independence and our own self-identity.
Here are some other ways grief and loss affect our lives:
Changes in Social Circles: As people age, their social circles may shrink. Friends and family members may pass away, or physical limitations might reduce social interactions. This can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness, exacerbating the sense of loss.
Reflections on Mortality: From middle age to our older years often bring a heightened awareness of one’s own mortality. This can intensify the grief experienced from the loss of others, as it forces individuals to confront their own life’s fragility and eventual end.
Life Review and Legacy: In later years, there is often a greater focus on reviewing one’s life, evaluating accomplishments, and considering one’s legacy. Sometimes we can feel regret we didn’t do things differently. Sometimes we grieve over getting older, we don’t look or feel as we want to. We may be limited in what we can now do.
How can we grieve and find healing?
While there is no one great solution, there are so many rituals and ideas that might be useful. We talk in more depth about this in my workshop.
Acknowledging grief -Express your feelings in a way that feels right for you, whether through talking, writing, or other forms of expression. Bottling up emotions can prolong the healing process. From my own experience, when I did try and suppress my feelings, the grief only came back worse.
Reaching out- as hard as it is, reach out to people who can sit with you.
Self-care is super important, eating well and drinking water, resting and being mindful of what you need is vital.
Honoring your loss, creating memories, remembering, visiting a special place.
Be patient with yourself, what you are feeling is normal.