If you are dealing with grief, feeling numb, empty, anxious, depressed, or intensely sad is normal and natural. What can you do to get through this difficult time?
Talk about it. Share your grief and other feelings with friends, family members, minister, rabbi, or spiritual counselor - anyone who you trust and feel supports you and can listen with compassion. If talking with people in your everyday life is difficult, consider seeing a professional counselor.
Get regular massage or a massage that’s a little longer than usual. Massage increases circulation, flushes away stress hormones, and increases the production of natural mood elevators called endorphins. During a massage, you can let go and enjoy a much-needed sense of peace and nurturing. Massage sometimes prompts tears and the expression of sadness. This emotional response to nurturing touch is natural and normal.
If you feel not only overwhelmed with sadness but also sensitive to your environment, find a place that feels safe to you where you can express your feelings. This could be at home, with a formal or informal support group, or in a favorite spot in nature.
Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross defined five stages of grief:
shock and denial
anger and guilt
bargaining
depression
adjustment and acceptance.
However, remember that these stages do not necessarily occur in order and that no two people experience grief in the same way. Take the time you need to deal with your grief and do not let anyone rush you to "just get over it."
