How to Engage in Self-Care While Grieving
Many caregivers watch their loved ones endure a long, slow decline that will eventually end in death. As they age, we grieve every mental and physical loss they incur. At the same time, we struggle with mixed emotions about how their passing will bring an end to their discomfort and indignities. Some struggle greatly with both dread and anticipation when it comes to thoughts of a loved one’s death.
The whole process is nearly too much to bear. Rather than facing the complexities of our anticipatory grief, far too many of us stuff our emotions deep down in an attempt to simply get on with life. This approach may enable us to get through our day-to-day responsibilities, but it isn’t a healthy or sustainable way of coping with these difficult yet very normal feelings.
Healthier Ways to Handle Grief: No matter how hard we try to suppress them, challenging emotions like sadness, fear, anger, confusion, shock, loneliness, guilt and regret always manage to surface in one way or another. Grief is a mentally exhausting process that can cloud our judgment, impair our ability to focus, and leave us feeling scattered, but these feelings can affect our physical health as well. This is why self-care is crucial for caregivers, especially those who are experiencing anticipatory grief or have recently suffered a loss.
Prioritize Your Physical Health: It can be very easy to neglect your physical needs while grieving. As difficult as it may seem, making every effort to get adequate sleep, eat nutritionally balanced meals, and…
Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories. “For anyone having to walk the last segments of life with a loved one, read this.” …Delores
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