Updated on 9/7/2022

Part of gaining a fundamental understanding of grief includes learning about the grieving process. The good news is that while managing this complex and intense emotion is difficult, itispossible. Here, we’ll explore the grieving process in detail, and look at some of the best ways to cope with grief in a healthy, therapeutic way.

Read on for our guide to managing and overcoming intense grief.

Grief Counseling OnlineYou don’t have to wait for help processing your loss. Access grief counseling within daysStart here

Grief Counseling OnlineYou don’t have to wait for help processing your loss. Access grief counseling within days

Grief Counseling Online

You don’t have to wait for help processing your loss. Access grief counseling within days

Start here

Going Through the Grieving Process

Grief is defined as the natural response to losing someone or something that you deeply care for. While typically applied to a loved one’s death, you really can grieve losing anything you love. For instance, people often experience intense grief and emotional pain after a marriage ends, or they may wonder how to cope with grief after the loss of or retirement from a job. They may even grieve after a child goes to college.

The Stages of Grief

There are five commonstages of grief. It’s important to note that not everyone will have the same experiences, at the same time, in the same order, or to the same magnitude. People grieve in different ways. The key takeaway is recognizing that there are different stages of grief that’ll typically all need to be worked through.

Knowing how to manage grief means you’re willing to work through each of the following stages:

Grief is undoubtedly one of the most difficult things in life to move past, but it can also symbolize a transformation for people. When you learn ways to cope with grief, you can come out on the other side.

“The stages of grief are not always linear, a person might find themselves going between different stages based on their emotions and thoughts. When they reach acceptance is when they finally find themselves at a place of understanding and peace.”

Handling the Symptoms of GriefHow you handle the symptoms of grief will have a direct impact on the outcome of the healing process. If your feelings of anger or depression aren’t effectively dealt with, it’s possible to get ‘stuck’ in a stage.Let’s look at some of the typical symptoms — both physical and mental — so you can learn how to cope with grief in a healthy way.Physical symptomsof grief:Tiredness or constant fatigueWeight gain or weight lossBodily aches and painsEmotional symptoms of grief:Guilt from failing to make amendsWorry about what life will be like nowFeelings of helplessness over the situationIntrusive memories of what things used to be likeFantasizing about how things would be if the loss never occurredA coping strategy for grief symptoms can include a variety of things, like changing your eating habits to challenging your thought processes. It’s critical to identify these symptoms as soon as possible, so you have a way to work through them. It might be easy to ignore minor back pain or attribute it to the box you moved last week when it’s actually a physical manifestation of your loss.

Handling the Symptoms of Grief

How you handle the symptoms of grief will have a direct impact on the outcome of the healing process. If your feelings of anger or depression aren’t effectively dealt with, it’s possible to get ‘stuck’ in a stage.

Let’s look at some of the typical symptoms — both physical and mental — so you can learn how to cope with grief in a healthy way.

Physical symptomsof grief:

Emotional symptoms of grief:

A coping strategy for grief symptoms can include a variety of things, like changing your eating habits to challenging your thought processes. It’s critical to identify these symptoms as soon as possible, so you have a way to work through them. It might be easy to ignore minor back pain or attribute it to the box you moved last week when it’s actually a physical manifestation of your loss.

Tips for Coping With GriefExplore some simple tips that might help you learn how to manage grief.Don’t compareCoping with the mental and emotional symptoms of grief starts with understanding that your experience isn’t like anyone else’s. You can’t set a time limit on your grief experience, nor can you compare yourself to a friend or family member.As long as you’re allowing yourself to work through the feelings, grief will lessen over time — you just can’t predict when that will be. Feeling bad about how long (or short) it’s taking you to grieve will only prolong the healing process.Set aside time to grieveBy doing this, you’re teaching your mind that there’s no need to run from uncomfortable feelings. Even though they hurt, you can survive this time. There’s something to that adage:what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.Avoidance and unresolved grief may appear to feel better in the short term (and may even be the only way to work through practical details of anticipatory orcomplicated grief), but it’s not a lasting solution. Eventually, you’ll need to allow yourself time to grieve and heal. Otherwise, your pain will manifest in other relationships and areas of your life.Build a support systemWhen you’re learning how to manage acute grief, building a support system is a good idea. This could include seeking professional help forgrief counselingor joining a grief support group.One important clarification to make here is that talking to people doesn’t necessarily mean you need to constantly focus on your loss. In fact, this can be helpful in yourgrief therapytechniques. While it’s important not to avoid or ignore it, you also don’t want to get sucked into an unhealthy pattern of obsessing over it.Focusing solely on the event in every conversation can be a hard habit to break. Instead, feel free to talk about other topics with loved ones or join a new club to meet new people if you need to. The help here comes from having a group around you who’ll be there for you (as you are for them).Seek grief counselingSometimes the pain of grief is too difficult to manage on our own. In-person oronline grief counselingcan help you understand your grief, work through the stages of healing, and learn tools to help you cope.The ways of coping with grief that work for you will ultimately depend on everything from the extent of your loss to your mental health history. Whether you do it alone, or with the professional help of a grief counselor or therapist, a support group, or someone else, confronting your feelings is essential to get through your grief process.

Tips for Coping With Grief

Explore some simple tips that might help you learn how to manage grief.

Don’t compare

Coping with the mental and emotional symptoms of grief starts with understanding that your experience isn’t like anyone else’s. You can’t set a time limit on your grief experience, nor can you compare yourself to a friend or family member.

As long as you’re allowing yourself to work through the feelings, grief will lessen over time — you just can’t predict when that will be. Feeling bad about how long (or short) it’s taking you to grieve will only prolong the healing process.

Set aside time to grieve

By doing this, you’re teaching your mind that there’s no need to run from uncomfortable feelings. Even though they hurt, you can survive this time. There’s something to that adage:what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.

Avoidance and unresolved grief may appear to feel better in the short term (and may even be the only way to work through practical details of anticipatory orcomplicated grief), but it’s not a lasting solution. Eventually, you’ll need to allow yourself time to grieve and heal. Otherwise, your pain will manifest in other relationships and areas of your life.

Build a support system

When you’re learning how to manage acute grief, building a support system is a good idea. This could include seeking professional help forgrief counselingor joining a grief support group.

One important clarification to make here is that talking to people doesn’t necessarily mean you need to constantly focus on your loss. In fact, this can be helpful in yourgrief therapytechniques. While it’s important not to avoid or ignore it, you also don’t want to get sucked into an unhealthy pattern of obsessing over it.

Focusing solely on the event in every conversation can be a hard habit to break. Instead, feel free to talk about other topics with loved ones or join a new club to meet new people if you need to. The help here comes from having a group around you who’ll be there for you (as you are for them).

Seek grief counseling

Sometimes the pain of grief is too difficult to manage on our own. In-person oronline grief counselingcan help you understand your grief, work through the stages of healing, and learn tools to help you cope.

The ways of coping with grief that work for you will ultimately depend on everything from the extent of your loss to your mental health history. Whether you do it alone, or with the professional help of a grief counselor or therapist, a support group, or someone else, confronting your feelings is essential to get through your grief process.

Sources:HelpGuide. HelpGuide.org. HelpGuide.org. Published January 7, 2019.https://www.helpguide.org/articles/grief/coping-with-grief-and-loss.htm

Sources:

HelpGuide. HelpGuide.org. HelpGuide.org. Published January 7, 2019.https://www.helpguide.org/articles/grief/coping-with-grief-and-loss.htm

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