Whether the death of a loved one was expected or not, it’s difficult to overcome grief. Most people need time to process their thoughts and feelings. In some cases, you may feel numb and unable to grasp what is happening. In other cases, you’re worried about what the future means without this person in your day to day life. In all cases, it’s important to talk about the way you feel and what this loss means to you now and in the future.

Be as Open as Possible

Even if you are not normally someone that’s open, it helps to talk. Express your grief openly. You don’t have to hide to cry. You don’t have to be happy in front of your children or other family members. By expressing your feelings openly and outwardly, you allow yourself to heal.

Don’t Ignore Your Feelings

For some people, it is easy to tuck away the feelings of grief and just focus on daily tasks. You just want to get through the day. The problem with this, though, is that it doesn’t help the grief to get better. It is not allowing you to heal. Rather, you are simply delaying the feelings and bottling them up. Later, it will be harder to deal with when those emotions do come to the surface.

Tips for Overcoming Grief Through Sharing

Many people struggle with expressing themselves during this time. In many situations, you just don’t know how to feel or what you feel.

-Speak from your heart, not your head. When sharing your thoughts, let out your deepest thoughts and feelings. Avoid saying what you think you should be saying.

-You may feel like you are “going crazy” or losing control by expressing yourself. You’re not. This is a normal experience.

-Choose people to share with who will walk with you and not in front of you through your journey. That is, avoid putting yourself around people who tell you to “keep your chin up” or to “be happy.” Rather, choose someone that is okay with letting you grieve.

Time doesn’t make grief go away. However, when you learn to express your grief, you’ll learn how to cope with the loss. Keep in mind that there is no limit to when this has to happen. No one can take away your need to grieve and there’s no time limit on when you should feel better or move on.