Category: grief
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Being Irritable is Completely Normal in Grief
Did you know it’s completely normal to be irritable when you’re coping with grief? Irritability can come from poor sleep patterns, feeling out of control or powerless, feeling frustrated with how your family and friends are responding to your loss, and more. Here are some ways to cope: Irritability is a symptom, not a primary…
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Tuesday Thoughts
You’re not responsible for making your grief tolerable to other people. I know- it sounds radical, but how people feel about your grief is not your responsibility to manage. You have enough on your plate just moving through your grief. Don’t add comforting others to the list. You need people around you who can be present…
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Anger is an Indicator Emotion
According to research, when asked, most people describe three primary emotions: happy, sad, and mad. Our dictionary for what we’re feeling is pretty simple when our emotional reality is actually really complex. Because we don’t have a lot of vocabulary for how we’re feeling, anger can seems like a primary feeling. But anger isn’t usually…
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Say Their Names. Tell Their Stories
Saying the names and telling the stories of the people in your life who’ve died is a way you honor the love that remains in your heart for them. So often, we are made to feel uncomfortable in our desire to tell their stories, but speaking of your loved ones is an important part of…
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Grief Always Finds a Way to be Felt
We can try to medicate our grief in a variety of ways, but that only touches the symptoms. Until we open the door to grief and feel the full weight of our loss, it will continue to find open windows to come through in less healthy ways.
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Grief as a series of contractions and expansions
It can be difficult to see the big picture when we’re in grief- one minute we’re doing just fine and in the next, we’re on our knees- metaphorically or literally. It’s easy to wonder if we’re going a little crazy- we may even ask ourselves “why is this happening again?”
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Where Do You Find Support?
Tips for getting the grief support you need The Ring Theory is such a great tool when you are in grief and need support. If you are in any of these circles, I’m so sorry you’re experiencing this loss- it is intense and painful. Immediate Family– The people who can support you in your grief…
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The Difference Between “Getting Over It” and Integration
If you’ve been in grief for longer than a few months, you might have started hearing phrases like, “moving on,” “moving forward,” and “getting over it.” You may also hear things like, “they would want you to be happy” or “they’re free of pain now.” What all of these phrases have in common is the…
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Your Story Is Sacred- Protect It
Early on in my own grief I couldn’t stop talking about my son. It didn’t matter who they were: friends, family, strangers in the grocery store. They all heard my story. This is a normal response in the acute grief phase- telling our story helps us process what has happened. It helps us to wrap…
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Writing Your Feelings Helps
There are SO many studies that show writing what you’re feeling can reduce stress, anxiety, & help alleviate depression. This is a practice you do for yourself, so it’s not required that you’re a good writer or even a good speller. Anyone can do it and reap the benefits. All you need is a quiet…
Lionheart Grief Coaching 