Practical things to help with processing grief.

Even as we wait impatiently for things to “return to normal”, we know there are things that will not. And we have to accept that. And grieve for them, and the people we have lost.

Although grief is painful, we must recognise the importance of honouring it, both individually and collectively, and of allowing it to unfold in its own time rather than holding it to a timetable. Seeking to avoid it only makes things worse.

These things can help:

Writing a Grief Letter or Grief List.   Making an inventory of what we are grieving for can be enormously helpful when we feel overwhelmed. A letter, a list, a journal /diary entry. ‘What I Will Miss’

Making a Memorial Corner. Creating a special place to make space for grief –  tickets unused, photos of people we loved who have died, things they loved to hold or wear – can help us to say goodbye.

A Gratitude Walk. Physical movement can unlock things in us that thinking alone cannot. Going for walks, alone or with a loved one (whether beside us or on the phone) while focusing on things we are thankful for can be a powerful practice for dealing with loss.

Listening to Music that Helps us Feel. Music can open a pathway to our emotions in a way that words sometimes cannot, and we can open ourselves up to grief through listening to a familiar piece of music either alone or with others.

Telling Stories. When someone we love has died, it helps to listen to, and tell, stories about them, just as we do at a wake – and we can find deep comfort in spaces to remember specific losses in our lives, either with one other person or with a group.

Talk to someone outside your family or circle of friends who is not part of the grieving circle.

Christ Church is here to help; if you would like to speak to someone contact the Vicar

well -some of them…