Grief and Self-Care: Balancing Emotional and Physical Health
Grief is never easy, nor is it the same for everyone. Your relationship with your late loved one and your perspective can affect your experience. One thing that is the same for all people going through this difficult process is the need to balance emotional and physical health.
Grief is hard enough without having to contend with feeling mentally or physically unwell. Self-care routines are key. By regularly focusing on activities supporting holistic wellness, you can find yourself more resilient as you work through your grief and into the future.
Adopting Mindfulness and Meditation
One of the common effects of grief is that people can start to feel locked in cycles of missing the past with their loved one and worrying about the future without them. Unfortunately, allowing these cycles to continue for too long isn’t good for your wellness. It might prevent you from understanding your current needs so you can move forward in a positive way.
If you’re having trouble breaking out of these cycles, adopting a regular mindfulness and meditation routine can be helpful. Indeed, the relaxing effects of meditation can be a good part of a bedtime routine if your grief cycles are disrupting your sleep.
You can take mindfulness walks that combine the mood-boosting benefits of being surrounded by nature and quality time considering your current emotions and thought processes. Labyrinth meditation is also a good approach. This involves walking in a small roundabout pathway to calm your mind and open your senses. At the center, you take a moment to reflect on your current thoughts and feelings before exiting to move forward with your day.
Particularly if you find yourself feeling stressed or anxious, deep breathing exercises can have various mental and physical wellness benefits. They can induce a sense of calm, lower your blood pressure, and even help relieve headaches. Box breathing — wherein you inhale for four counts, hold your breath for four counts, then exhale for four counts — can help ground you if grief has you feeling distressed or confused. You could also explore the pranayama technique if you want to incorporate yoga and breath work into your mindfulness routine.
Maintaining Regular Exercise
Most of us know that regular exercise is essential for maintaining physical wellness. However, it can also significantly impact grief. It’s not unusual to have low energy after a loved one's passing. Getting moving can give you a much-needed boost, help you maintain your health, and even give you a cathartic activity to focus on when you’re feeling sad, angry, or frustrated.
If you’re unsure where to begin, you can tie your exercise in with the activities you already enjoy. Doing so allows you to gain the physical benefits of working out while doing something that brings you purpose and joy. For instance, hiking is an excellent exercise for people of all fitness levels. It also pairs well with other outdoor hobbies, such as bird watching, nature photography, and foraging. For urban explorers, cycling provides a great aerobic workout while letting you discover new spaces and fresh perspectives.
Some people find that traditional workouts better fit their daily routines. If you don't want to use public facilities, consider turning your garage into a gym. Doing so can make exercise more affordable and accessible to get the workout you need. After removing any unwanted items, create a floor plan to visualize what equipment you can install while allowing space for any vehicles or tools you need to keep in the garage. It’s also wise to upgrade the flooring to rubber mats or foam tiles that absorb sound and are more akin to a gym environment. Personalize the space with objects and decor that make you feel good. Your gym supports holistic wellness and lifts your mood, so make it yours.
Staying Nutritionally Healthy
Eating a balanced, nutritious diet is a vital form of self-care. When grieving, people often find it challenging to keep nutritionally healthy. There may be days that you simply have little appetite due to stress, worry, or sadness. Some people also respond to the complex emotions they’re feeling by overeating comfort foods. However, being mindful about what you eat gives your body the fuel it needs to function properly.
Often, this is about ensuring you have food in your home to maintain a balanced diet. You should aim to have three meals a day. Keep your grocery shopping trips focused on building up ingredients for good nutrition. Stock up on lean proteins, like poultry and fish, whole grain products, and dark leafy greens. If you occasionally have little appetite, consider getting some broths and soups that may be easier to ingest, but still get you the nutrients you need.
As you transition from the immediate period of grief, another component of holistically healthy nutrition may be eating out occasionally with friends. Go to a restaurant that was a favorite of your loved one or invite people over for dinner to cook a meal they enjoyed. This helps you not just get the food you need to thrive but also nourish yourself with positive company and share fond memories.
Conclusion
There’s no guaranteed way to magically overcome the challenges of grief. Nevertheless, some regular healthy habits that support your physical and mental wellness can help give you the resilience you need to navigate this period. Alongside exercise, nutrition, and meditation, you may find joining a grief support group useful. You can get emotional support, as well as inspiration or advice from others about self-care methods they find effective.
