Effects of Grief

Unfortunately, many of us have spent time grieving in the past 1.5 years due to COVID-19. We’ve grieved the unexpected passing of family members. This kind of circumstance can affect the way we interact with others, and the way we see ourselves. 

There are two kinds of grief: acute and persistent/complicated. Acute grief lasts about 6-12 months after the loss, and persistent grief lasts longer than the 12 months. If you are dealing with persistent grief, it may be helpful to see a mental health professional to help you process and move forward. During a time of grieving, it is common for your mind to be filled with memories, thoughts, and emotions connected to the person you lost. You may also have a hard time really accepting the loss and have deep waves of sadness and desire for them. Chronic stress also comes alongside acute grief and can cause several issues, including having a hard time sleeping, depression, anger or bitterness, loss of appetite, and anxiety (How to Overcome Grief’s Health-Damaging Effects, 2021). These symptoms should not be ignored but more so accepted as part of the grieving process. It is important to be kind to yourself when you’re grieving - your loss was and is important. 

It’s also common for people who are grieving to withdraw and not enjoy their usual activities. Spiritually, many people may re-examine their beliefs or search for meaning (Grief and Loss, n.d.). Therefore, grief affects mental health, but it can also have serious physical and spiritual implications as well. So how do we deal with grief? First of all, give yourself the space to grieve. Try writing or listening to music to help with releasing and processing emotions. Set a daily routine and stick to it. Try to get some physical activity in your day, even if it’s just a 10-minute walk. Eat healthily and get rest. Grieving takes a lot of energy, get some sleep! Also, as hard as it may be, try to stay connected to those closest to you. Let them take you out for dinner, coffee, etc. You can tell them upfront the kind of support you need, and you may be surprised at how they help (Grief and Loss, n.d.). Overall, be patient and give yourself grace in the process.

Now, there are also plenty of us who are not grieving right now but know someone who is. Try to initiate contact with them (Grief and Loss, n.d.). It may be hard for them to reach out, so take that upon yourself. Respect what they need in your time together. They may want to talk about it, but they may want to talk about anything else. Go with the flow. Offer to prepare a few meals or watch their kids. I’ve seen people organize weeks of meals for someone experiencing a loss through a platform like Facebook. This can be so helpful and touching. Just consider what you would want someone to do for you or what was helpful when you’ve grieved in the past. Circumstances change but what happens during sticks with us.

References:

How to Overcome Grief’s Health-Damaging Effects. (2021). Harvard Health Publishing. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/3hqZaLA. 

Grief and Loss. (n.d.). Healthdirect. Retrieved from https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/grief-loss#cope. 

Challenges/Points:

• Grief affects everyone in different ways, but it can have serious physical, mental, and spiritual implications. 

• If you are grieving, allow yourself to feel all the emotions.

• Try to build a small routine this week. Could you go on a walk or eat a full, healthy meal?

Questions:

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