Finding the right funeral homes Johnstown, PA, and working through the grief journey is always difficult when someone close to us is taken away. But the ongoing pandemic has made matters only worse.
In the face of difficulty in engaging in normal comforting rituals such as spending more time with sick loved ones, saying a final goodbye, fulfilling their last wishes, and arranging a perfect funeral, the bereaved family has to go through unprecedented pain and stress.
What’s Happening?
The traditional ways of coping with grief like exercising, socializing with friends, indulging in favorite hobbies, and enjoyable activities may not be available to everyone due to stay-at-home orders and shutdown. Even worse is that with all the inundation of pandemic news, the bereaved are constantly reminded of their loss.
It’s natural for the grieving family to feel alone and overwhelmed and call for extra consideration for their emotional and physical health.
Here’s how you can cope with the complicated grief when you experience loss:
Engage in Self-Care
With the loss of a traditional support system – due to the restrictions on connecting with your friends and family – the onus lies entirely on us to be a bit creative and take care of ourselves despite the restrictions.
Consider doing healthy activities that are enjoyable and make you happy. It could be cycling, a brief walk in the park, mindful writing, watching your favorite TV show or a movie, and doing gentle exercise at home.
Additionally, make a flexible schedule and maintain a work-life balance and try to complete your daily tasks even if you don’t have the desire to do so but don’t try to overburden yourself.
Get a Pet
Research shows that having a pet, especially a cat or a dog can help you get past the grief faster. Spending time with a pet offers many perks such as increasing the release of chemicals like dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins that make us feel happier and relaxed.
These feelings play an important role in making the grief journey less painful and overwhelming.
Practice Mindfulness
People have been relying on mindfulness to get solace and inner comfort since time immemorial. The best thing about practicing mindfulness is that you have to be alone in a peaceful environment to contemplate your feelings and what around you without any judgment.
Medical practitioners and psychologists posit that people coping with the loss of a loved one should commit at least 10-15 minutes daily to practicing mindfulness. It can be mindful breathing, guided imagery, or a walk near an ocean.
Join a Virtual Support Group
If you are still unable to overcome acute grieving, then look for online support groups or virtual grief counseling sessions. Grief can be much more bearable when someone acknowledges your feelings and emotions. You can seek individual counseling as many psychologists offer virtual video sessions or rely on a hotline to move through this difficult time. Your funeral homes Johnstown, PA, may know of groups to join.