What Are The 7 Stages Of Grief? | How To Heal

Losing someone very close to you can be an emotionally upsetting experience. You may find yourself going through different emotions during the period you are trying to heal from your loss.

The way in which grief may affect you depends on a number of factors; the kind of loss you have suffered, your upbringing, your beliefs or religion, your age, and your physical and mental health.

7 Stages Of Grief

Some people go through stages of grief which can include:

• Shock and denial – reacting to learning of the loss with numbed disbelief.
• Pain and guilt – especially if the relationship with the person who has died was complicated or difficult
• Anger – at being left behind
• Depression, reflection, loneliness – as you come to terms with the fact that the person is gone
• An upward turn – when things start to feel more manageable.
• Reconstruction and working through – learning to live without that person and working through your grief
• Acceptance and hope – being able to move forward with your life

6 Tips On How To Heal From Grief

Here are some practical things you can do to help yourself cope with grief:

1. Talk about your feelings with someone you feel close to you, such as a friend, family member, medical professional, or a counsellor. This can help you process painful emotions and heal your mind.
2. Give yourself time and space to grieve. Feeling sad is an important part of grieving, and helps you come to terms with your particular loss.
3. Spend time doing activities that you enjoy, such as going for a walk, doing exercise or meeting up with a friend.
4. Make sure you get enough sleep. This will help you cope better with painful emotions and support you in managing the physical symptoms of grief, such as headaches and fatigue.
5. Eat healthily even when you don’t want to. A balanced healthy diet will help you cope with your feelings, and will balance your body’s physiology.
6. Avoid turning to alcohol, or substances as a way of escaping from reality and numbing your feelings. 

Our trained and friendly team of therapists are here to help you work through your feelings of loss, whether it’s the death of a loved one, or the loss of something important in your life.

It can take some time to recover from grief, but being able to express your emotions, and feeling heard and understood by somebody else, will really help you find a way through.