Grief coping alternatives you can do at home
Posted by AK Lander | On June 1, 2020 10:33
Coping with grief is hard at any time, but during the COVID-19 pandemic it has made it even tougher. Here are ways you can deal with grief at home.
With the COVID-19 lockdown, it has seen many people confined to their houses and not being able to go out as freely as they normally would.
During high times of stress and uncertainty, it is common for people who are struggling with grief and other anxieties to see their problems increase. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people who could cope with their grief or stresses by going out and taking part in their hobbies have been unable to due to the social distancing rules.
There are always times in life when you are unable to utilise the grief coping outlets that you find most helpful and this guide looks at the alternatives you can do at home.
Write a diary
If you have lost a loved one during the pandemic and are getting stressed as you now need to arrange a funeral, tell close family members and friends about the arrangements and search where to buy a memorial headstone, then writing can help you.
Writing in a diary can help you express your emotions as bottling things up will not help you grieve. You can write about how you are feeling, what you have done and also talk about the person that you have lost and what you loved about them.
Kerstin Pilz from the Tiny Buddha explains how writing in a journal helped her after she lost a partner. She says: “Four weeks after his death, a tightly sealed plastic box containing a dozen diaries was the first thing I grabbed when I had to evacuate my home ahead of a monster cyclone. Seven years after those events, the plastic container, which by now contains several dozen moleskins, is still the first thing I’ll grab at the next cyclone warning.
“Why? Because those journals were my lifesaver at a time when no therapist could help me. Grieving is a very long and lonely journey, and those journals were my most intimate, trusted friends during the most difficult time in my life.”
Listen to a grief podcast
Sometimes it can help to listen to someone else, especially if they themselves have lost somebody close to them and have suffered from grief.
Whilst attending grief counselling sessions during the pandemic have not been possible, you could instead turn to listening to a grief podcast.
There are lots of grief podcasts out there that might help you:
- Where’s The Grief – Jordon Ferber is a comedian and bereaved sibling, his podcast encourages open discussions about the effects of grief. He also talks about different ways you can cope with grief.
- Dealing With My Grief – This podcast is about the creator Darwyn discuss his grief journey after losing his father. In this podcast, you can learn about how he has dealt with grief and the different resources that are available to you.
Read more about grief podcasts here.
Look for grief support online
With the impacts of COVID-19, many psychologists and counsellors have turned to giving help and support via the telephone or online.
Dr. Maura Abdelall runs a counselling and psychotherapy firm in South Wimbledon and she has been offering therapy sessions that are conducted via video or telephone.
Talking about her approach with clients, Dr. Maura Abdelall says: “In my work, establishing a nurturing and trusting relationship with clients is important as I believe that it is fundamental to the effectiveness of therapy. My therapeutic work is aimed at providing a safe and trusting therapeutic space in which the client feels able to explore and process deep hidden emotions.”
Online sessions like this can help you and speaking to a professional about your depression, anxiety and pain is one way that can help you to deal with your grief during the pandemic.
There are tons of online grief resources out there, as well as various online support groups that can help. Option B has dedicated Facebook groups that you can join and discuss your problems with others who have been in the same boat as you or are still currently grieving. Join the Option B Grief and Loss Facebook group.
Video call family and friends
While we have been unable to meet up with friends and family during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has meant we have become better acquainted with technology that allows us to connect with loved ones.
Although it isn’t the same as meeting up for a coffee or lunch, it has been the next best thing. By video calling your family or friends from your home you can talk to them about your struggles or if you want to take your mind off things you can look to take part in a quiz together. Using this technology is also something that friends or family that live far away from one another can look to keep up after the pandemic.
Here are some of the best video calling apps that you can use:
You can also read our article about “Ways to stay in touch with loved ones during grief” to find other ways you can keep in contact with family or friends.
Exercise at home
Something that many people find helpful when they are going through grief is to go to the gym as exercise can help with your mental wellbeing. While you have been unable to head to the gym, a great way to help deal with your grief is to instead exercise at home.
Any exercise is beneficial and even if you are unable to do the exercises you would normally do in the gym, it is still better to do something than nothing at all.
Joe Wickes has been running a variety of exercise classes via his YouTube channel, The Body Coach TV. There are classes specially made for older adults as well as classes that work on certain areas of the body.
If you are a gym member you can look at their social media channels to see if they have been posting any alternative workout options as some gyms have been running live group sessions via their Facebook channels.
These are just some of the different ways you can cope with grief at home, but if you are arranging plans following the death of a close relative or friend and need to look at purchasing a headstone, then here at AK Lander we can help.