Grieving is one of the most difficult stages to go through, even though it is an inevitable component of human existence. Be it a loved one’s passing, the breakup of a relationship, or any other big event in life, loss can leave us feeling powerless and bewildered. Grieving is one of the most difficult stages to go through, even though it is an inevitable component of human existence.
Be it a loved one’s passing, the breakup of a relationship, or any other big life event, loss can leave us feeling powerless and bewildered. Why dealing with grief such a challenge?
Humanity has been puzzled by this question for ages (Shear, 2012). We will examine the intricacies of loss in this article, as well as some unusual coping mechanisms. These imaginative strategies provide distinctive avenues for healing, ranging from travel to self-improvement to even finding comfort in new relationships.
Table Of Contents
Why Is Grieving So Difficult?
Creative Ways To Grieve
Grieving Through Traveling
Grieving Through Self-Improvement
Processing Grief In A New Relationship
Why Is Grieving So Difficult?
The fundamental fabric of our life is challenged when we grieve, which makes it challenging. We are forced to face our frailty and fragility of life when we experience loss. It throws off our sense of routine and leaves us struggling with strong feelings like grief, rage, guilt, and even bewilderment. Each person experiences grief differently and at a different level of complexity. Our reactions to loss are influenced by societal, cultural, and personal circumstances.
Embracing the sorrow instead of running from it is one of the difficult aspects of grieving. The truth is that grieving takes time, despite society’s constant encouragement to move on and put up a brave front. It is important to find appropriate avenues for expression because unresolved sorrow can have negative repercussions on both mental and physical health (Clarke, 2021).
Creative Ways to Grieve
Counseling, support groups, and treatment are frequently used in traditional grieving methods. n while these techniques are helpful, some people find comfort in non-traditional approaches to managing their feelings. In particular, creativity has shown to be a potent therapeutic aid. Self-expression-related activities can be therapeutic and aid people in navigating the rough seas of grief.
Art Therapy: Expressions of feeling that words may not be able to capture can be uniquely captured via art. Painting, drawing, or sculpting as part of art therapy offers a tangible means to process loss. Making something with your hands gives you a better emotional connection and speeds up the healing process (Arnold, 2020).
Writing as Catharsis: Writing poems or keeping a notebook can be a therapeutic way to process your emotions. You can go into the depths of your feelings and learn more about your personal grief process by writing. It’s a private and intimate place to release the weight of loss (Matthews, 2019).
Photo by Irina Anastasiu
Grieving Through Travelling
Some individuals may not find relevance in traditional grief techniques. Unconventional methods, such as travel, can offer a special path to recovery in certain situations. People can leave their comfortable surroundings and experience a change of environment when they travel, which can have therapeutic effects.
Journey of Self-Discovery: Exploring new destinations offers a chance for personal growth. Traveling to new places, meeting new people, and engaging oneself in unusual surroundings can provide a new outlook on life. Taking a vacation from one’s routine can be a very effective technique to rediscover oneself and view sadness from a different perspective.
Memorial Travels: Going to locations that are meaningful to their deceased loved one might bring solace to certain people. It might be a beloved vacation spot, a location where memories were made, or even the act of dispersing ashes at a special place. Traveling for a memorial allows one to commemorate and remember the deceased while taking comfort in the natural beauty of the earth (Hansen, 2012).
Grieving Through Self-Improvement
People who are grieving frequently reminisce on their lives and search for opportunities for personal development. Putting sadness into productive pursuits can be a life-changing and restorative process.
Physical Well-being: Exercise and yoga are examples of physical activities that can have a significant impact on mental health. Endorphins are released during exercise and can reduce stress and enhance general well-being. It’s an act of self-love and can help foster a positive outlook when you take care of your body during the grieving process.
Learning and Skill Development: Grief can serve as a driving force for self-improvement via the acquisition of new abilities or the pursuit of long-forgotten passions. Acquiring new abilities, whether it be learning to play a musical instrument, a new language, or taking up a new pastime, gives one a sense of accomplishment and direction (Smith et al., 2024).
Processing Grief in A New Relationship
While it may seem strange, for some people starting a new relationship during the grief process can be consoling and supportive. Although it can provide a different form of comfort, finding love and companionship in a new relationship doesn’t lessen the significance of the prior one.
Companionship as Healing: Both companionship and emotional support can be obtained from a new relationship. It can bring great consolation when you talk about your grief with a companion who appreciates and understands what you are going through. It’s critical to have honest conversations about your past and to make sure that both partners understand the intricacies of grieving.
Rediscovering Joy: Even though loss is a part of your journey, getting into a new relationship might present chances to experience happiness and joy again. Restoring memories and reliving love in a new setting might aid in the healing process. Instead of utilizing a new relationship as a means of numbing your sorrows, it’s critical to approach it with a real desire for connection.
Conclusion
The process of grieving is extremely individualized and frequently intricate, and there isn’t a universally applicable method. Unconventional grieving techniques, like art, travel, self-improvement, or forming new relationships, provide special opportunities for recovery. These methods place a strong emphasis on the value of accepting one’s creativity, traveling, developing oneself, and making new friends.
Please consider talking with someone about grief, either a friend, a relative, and/or a therapist. Processing grief alone is very difficult, and even the most “independent” of us need the advice and support of others when we are hurting.
References
Arnold, R. (2020). Navigating Loss Through Creativity: Influences of Bereavement on Creativity and Professional Practice in Art Therapy. Art Therapy, 37(1), 6–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2019.1657718
Clarke, J. (2021). What Makes Grief Complicated? A Review.
Hansen, K. (2012, February 7). Why You Should Vacation While Grieving. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/travel-in-mind/201202/why-you-should-vacation-while-grieving
Matthews, A. (2019). Writing through grief: Using autoethnography to help process grief after the death of a loved one. Methodological Innovations, 12(3), 2059799119889569. https://doi.org/10.1177/2059799119889569
Shear, M. K. (2012). Grief and mourning gone awry: Pathway and course of complicated grief. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 14(2), 119–128. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2012.14.2/mshear
Smith, M., Robinson, L., & Segal, J. (2024, January 5). Coping with Grief and Loss. Https://Www.Helpguide.Org. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/grief/coping-with-grief-and-loss.htm
Written By: Dr. Wasif MD
Medically Reviewed By: Dr. Kyle Zrenchik, PhD, LMFT
Published : 1/10/2024
Disclaimer: ALL IN Therapy Clinic aims to improve people’s lives. We do this through providing effective mental health counseling by passionate professionals. Inspired by this, we write content for your own education. Also, our content is researched, cited, reviewed, and edited by licensed mental health professionals. However, the information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Additionally, it should not be used in place of the advice of a qualified healthcare provider.
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