What is your journey feeling and looking like as you have and are experiencing losses?
Fractured: Feeling broken by the loss you experienced whether a physical or life loss. A “broken heart.” The grief is deep and heavy. Experiencing this loss and realizing you are a “changed” person and you are on an uncharted journey. Fears, new emotions arise as to how will I navigate such a journey that is new, alone. You don’t have a road map to navigate and this is the worst journey you have ever been on. At Walking Through Grief we supply a booklet that I call our “Road Map” of support. We all need somewhere to start, to gain an understanding , to learn about emotions, to find skills to help with our fears.
Anxiety : Having experienced such a great loss that has been life changing and left us feeling fractured and full of fears and questions. Anxiety enters in, a new journey ,feeling overwhelmed and helpless looking at the ‘Big Picture’. Our sense of worth and self esteem have been battered and we may feel isolated.
Isolation: I spoke of the overwhelming pain, emotions, fears and helplessness. Frozen, how do we move on in our grief journey? When we look to the future with the questions of “How will I go on, am I strong enough for this journey, I am fractured. With not having the answer or skills and experiencing the loss of our ability to navigate this journey we may then start to isolate, withdraw, and find we are becoming more depressed. It takes courage, but reach out. I know it has been really difficult during the restrictions we have faced but try a to text, phone, face time with someone you trust. You are not weak by calling out. You are allowing someone else a blessing by coming along side to support.
Time: Time seems to have stood still for you, you have forgotten times and activities and have robotted through days. Head and heart don’t seem connected. Take time and courage to embrace your pain and grief, accepting a little at a time. Don’t allow others to determine a time line of your grief. This is a huge challenge and one you need to invite a companion to join with you to listen to your story, your fears and your tears. This could be a family member, friend you trust, a support group, a church or a counsellor. You will have acquired skills to help navigate this grief journey and you will begin to see light again and the world around you. Remember the sun is always shining it is just that the clouds we see are stopping our view.
Hope and faith that you will survive and even thrive again. That the skills you learn and the people you surround yourself with will help get you through this new and different life your are now living. Remember your memories, for most they are a warm blanket and you can use those memories to actively honor the loved one by investing in a cause or a purpose of some kind. You will build skills and a good Mental Health going forward. For those who do not have those good memories to build on use those times to help you move forward to build on positives you can now have in your life.
TRY FOR THIS MONTH TO FILL A CUP – SEND OUT ON OUR FACE BOOK A POSITIVE QUOTE, WORD OR A GRATITUDE. IF YOU NEED TO FILL YOUR CUP TAKE A POSITIVE OR GRATITUDE.
These have been difficult times, lets lift each other up.
“ Negative feelings fuel your stress reactions”
My positive – “Be positive appreciate and focus on your strengths”
Submitted by Walking Through Grief Society
Funded by FCSS City of Lloydminster, Towns of Vermilion and Wainwright, Villages of Kitscoty and Marwayne , County Vermilion River and donations.
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