Grief is a difficult emotion to deal with. In technical terms, grief is defined as deep sorrow, sadness, and anguish, but it’s so much more complex than words on paper.
In fact, a brain MRI anatomy scan will even show the differences in someone’s brain when they’re dealing with intense loss and emotions such as grief and sadness. These scans alone are enough to prove how complex our emotions can be.
Anyone who has dealt with the loss of a loved one understands this complexity. Take it from me; I lost my dad a couple of years ago, and the feelings that loss left me with were overwhelming and consuming.
I often found myself wondering: how do I reconnect with my life? Is it possible to find happiness after such a loss like this?
Thankfully, there is good news among the loss in your life, and the answer to those questions above is yes. Below, I’ll show you a few simple steps you can take to find happiness after a loss and reconnect with your life.
Accepting Grief as Normal
An average of 60 million people die in the world every year. Even if each of those people touches only one other life in the world, that’s still 60 million individuals who have to deal with that loss.
Given how big a number 60 million is, I think it’s safe to say that grief is normal, and loss is common. These are feelings that many people experience, so it’s okay for you to have them as well.
One of the first steps to reconnecting with your life after a loss is to accept your feelings of loss and sadness. Doing this might look different for you than it does for someone else. For me, it helped to talk about my dad to my friends and family.
Other people accept these feelings by talking with a licensed therapist, writing their feelings down, or continuing to celebrate the life of their lost loved one. Explore healthy ways to accept your feelings in a way that works for you, and don’t be afraid to let the sadness flow.
Get Plenty of Rest
Grief can be exhausting – emotionally, mentally, and physically. Grief is composed of so many emotions, including sadness, guilt, anger, and emptiness, that it can physically drain you.
That being said, it’s critical to give yourself time to rest.
Some people struggle with restlessness and insomnia following a loss. One helpful method to consider is using CBD to relax. CBD reduced anxiety in 79 percent of its participants and helped improve sleep quality among 71.4 percent.
Other things like meditating, music, reading, and exercise can help with sleep, but you should always consult with your doctor before trying any kind of medication. You can visit this page to know more.
Reintroduce Things That Make You Happy
While it’s crucial to accept feelings of grief and experience that very genuine sadness, it’s just as critical to choose happiness again.
One way I accomplished this following the loss of my father was by slowly reintroducing little things that made me happy. I love to exercise, so I started each of my days with some movement: a short jog, some stretching, a little bit of yoga.
From there, I started implementing other things to make myself smile.
Show up for yourself. Make yourself a cup of coffee, get outside and go for a walk, read your favorite novel, or binge-watch your comfort TV show.
Baby steps are absolutely okay here. You may not feel up to exercise right away; don’t force it. But remember that you have to embrace happiness for yourself – it’s not going to come looking for you.
Appreciate Life
If there’s anything I learned from losing my dad, it’s that the time we have on this earth is both precious and fleeting, and I don’t want to waste another second of it.
Sometimes, losses remind us to appreciate life again. You may have lost someone, but look around at all the people and things you still have and make the most of them.
You’re still here, and you still matter.
After I lost my dad, I made a conscious effort to spend more time with my mom. I realized how easily I got caught up in the busy nature of life, and that loss was a wake-up call to me. My mom and I are now the closest we’ve ever been, and I have my dad to thank for that.
Final Thoughts
Loss is one of the hardest – if not the hardest – things we as humans will ever have to deal with. But it doesn’t have to mean the end of our happiness. Let the feelings in and take time to grieve that loss, but don’t be afraid to plan on chasing happiness once again.