Losing a loved one is never easy. Grieving the people you cherish and figuring out how to move forward in your life without them can be incredibly difficult, and even the thought of moving on can be incredibly traumatizing for some.

Grief consumes people differently, and the outcomes can vary greatly. For some, it’s the start of a downward spiral that completely derails their life in different ways. For others, it’s the catalyst for change.

But is there a right or wrong way to mourn? Yes and no. No two people will grieve the same way or even mourn the person the same way, and while there are some unhealthy coping mechanisms you can fall into to help you through this time, there are also many ways you can work through your grief to come out to terms with the loss.

Mourning can lead you through many emotions, from joy and love to despair, sorrow, anger, and everything in between. All these emotions and more are a normal part of grieving, and allowing yourself to feel them as they come can help you mourn and express your loss in a healthy way.

But grief aside, how do you cope with loss? It isn’t easy, but this post is going to look at some specific strategies for doing that.

Don’t Bottle Things Up

Expressing your feelings is not a sign of weakness but a necessary part of the grieving process. Grief is often described as love persevering; it simply doesn’t have a physical target anymore. Just as you would when you feel any other feelings at any other time in your life, allow yourself to do so now, and do not bottle things up.

Bottling up your feelings, which means suppressing or not expressing your emotions, because you think it shows weakness or you do not want to upset others will only make you feel worse and prolong the grieving. It will hinder you, and you won’t be able to move past it as easily as you might need to or want to, and it can be a real sticking block.

Talk to Others

A massive part of how you grieve is how you open up to other people to share how you feel. Again, much like bottling up your feelings, not sharing things with others can be massively detrimental to your grieving process and your mental health too.

You can talk with family members or friends to share stories and reminisce, talk through your grief, anger problems, etc., and share stories of good times.

But sometimes, you need to divulge your innermost thoughts with others who are going through what you are going through on a more personal level. Joining support groups for people experiencing the same kind of loss as you are can help you feel more comfortable.

Alternatively, you might find therapy works for you better. Talking to an expert who has experience guiding people through times such as this and helping them deal with life and developing coping mechanisms to get through the day can be beneficial.

Accept Life Goes On

It’s going to be hard at first, really hard. But sadly, life does go on. People around will still continue their daily routines and habits, and the world will still turn. While your world might have imploded, the wider world, as harsh as it seems, does and will keep going on as it always did.

For some, this can be unnerving. You’re in the throes of grief, and people are still going about the everyday mundanities of life. But for others, this can bring a sense of comfort because life does carry on, and accepting it can help you ensure you can move on with your life.

No Rush

There isn’t a timeline for grief, and that’s okay. A great way to cope with your loss is to understand that there are no set rules or timelines for you to adhere to, even if others are seemingly moving on faster. While you shouldn’t stop living your life, you can, in many ways, grieve for as long as you feel you need to.

Don’t rush back into “life as normal.” Take your time, take it slow, and remerge into your life at your own pace as you feel ready.

Have a Focal Point

While you no longer have the physical person around you, you still have who they were and what they were about in your life.

For some, it could be going to their grave and talking to them; this is something that they do to help them feel closer and more connected to lost loved ones. For others, it’s a particular spot in a specific location. It might be that you want to honor them at home. For example, creating a memorial in the house, complete with pictures, items, and personal belongings that remind you of them, can be beneficial. You might want to display their dedication to their country if they served in the army, and having flag cases to preserve their flag can be a focal part of that. It can be anything you wish as long as it brings you comfort.

Take Care of You

Grief can be all-consuming and all-consuming and can and will impact all areas of your life.

One of the best things to do during this time is to ensure you are still taking care of yourself. This means fueling your body by eating healthy, nutritious meals when you are up to it. It means bathing, taking care of personal hygiene, and even exercising, especially if it gives you an outlet for your grief or helps you remove some anger or frustration.

Staying hydrated, sleeping, and other aspects of daily life can be neglected during grief, especially in the first few days or weeks. Taking care of yourself can help you feel better physically, which in turn will support good mental health and give you the foundation to work from as you move through the stages of grief and your new way of living.

Coping with grief isn’t easy, and losing a loved one never is, but there are things you can do to cope while you mourn and acclimatize to life after loss that can help you and be beneficial.