Reinventing Yourself After a Loss with Mindfulness

Funeral Home Oakland

When you lose a loved one, grieving is not something that ends when the funeral service is over. Grief can be a palpable part of your life for years, and many people eventually need to seek grief counseling to help them learn to cope with their feelings. For people living with a loss, mindfulness can be a way to move forward. By being mindful of your feelings and proactive about finding a new way to approach life, you can learn to control your grief rather than letting it control you. Here are some ways to practice mindfulness as you deal with a loss.

Be Reflective
Take time to consider other painful experiences in your life and how you managed them. Think about the strategies you used to cope, and ask yourself if any of those efforts could help you now. You should also think about how you felt as you were recovering from past hardships and if there were any signs you can recognize that you were turning a corner in your recovery. Seeing that you have faced pain in the past and that you did recover can give you the confidence that you have the tools to get through this as well.

Stay Centered
It’s inevitable that overwhelming feelings of sadness, regret, and helplessness will strike you as you’re grieving. These feelings may come out of nowhere when you think you are feeling strong. Rather than trying to block these feelings, acknowledge them and experience them, but then practice meditation or try deep breathing. These practices ground you and anchor you to the present, so you can be in control of your feelings.

See the Future
Set time aside to focus on the kind of future you can see for yourself. It may be helpful to look for a way that you can engage with some of your interests and honor your lost loved one at the same time. By seeing a future for yourself, you can see a way to manage your feelings.

At Chapel of the Chimes Oakland, our compassionate staff is here to assist families who are making decisions about funeral services, burial, and cremation during difficult times. Find out how we can help you by calling our funeral home in Oakland at (510) 654-0123.