Losing a loved one is always difficult, but there is something that is particularly hard about losing your spouse or partner. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, a lot of ClassyCurlies readers have shared their family’s grief with me via email. It’s always hard but I like to give uplifting advice.
When you spend your life with somebody and everything is built around that relationship, their sudden loss can leave you feeling lost and unsure what to do next. Time is the best healer and it’s important that you accept that it will be a long while before you can begin to move on with your life, but you need to make sure that you handle the loss in the right way.
These important tips will help you to make it through the loss of a partner or spouse.
Consider the Practical Things
Practical things like money and work will be the last things on your mind after losing a loved one, but it’s important that you consider it. Your financial situation is going to change overnight, especially if your partner was the main earner in the household.
If you don’t start making plans, you will find yourself in a tough position and that extra stress will take a toll on your mental health. It’s important that you look for any financial assistance that you are entitled to.
If you find somebody that will put experience on your side, you will be able to get justice for your partner and get some financial assistance. You will also need to reconsider your spending and think about changing your work situation if necessary. Even though these things seem irrelevant right now, it’s important to think about them sooner or later.
Take Care of Your Physical and Mental Health
You need to allow yourself to grieve, so don’t feel bad if it takes you a long time to process this life-changing tragedy. However, it is important that you take steps to look after your physical and mental health. It’s easy to ignore these things while you are grieving, but this will only make things worse.
Reaching out to friends and family is an important way to protect your mental health, and you should also avoid unhealthy coping mechanisms, like alcohol. Exercise is important for both physical and mental health as well, so consider taking up running or joining a gym.
Adapt your Social Life
Navigating your social life after losing a partner can be very difficult. If you often socialized with other couples, it can be tough for you to be in those same social situations and may people worry that they won’t fit in anymore. But it’s important to remember that your friends will always be supportive so you should just speak to them.
Explain that some social situations will be difficult for you and you would prefer to meet with friends one-on-one. It’s important that you speak to your friends and you don’t simply withdraw from social situations because isolation has a huge negative impact on your mental health.
Dealing with the loss of a partner or spouse will always be difficult, but if you follow these tips, you can start putting things back together again.
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