Resuming Life After a Loved One Passes Away
If you have recently lost a loved one, you may be having trouble moving on and getting back into life as you knew it before their death. This is normal, but for some—and often depending on the closeness of the relationship—it may take longer to heal; in fact, you may find that everyone in your family deals with the death of a parent, sibling, or other relative differently. It may help to talk about the pain you are feeling, or fielding the ongoing concerns from others may just make you feel worse, constantly reminded of the person you loved who is no longer there.
Sometimes those we love are taken from us unpredictably, in an accident or illness that progresses rapidly. For many others though, a sickness like cancer may be diagnosed and the individual affected may be sick for months or even years. During that time, you may have even been an active participant in helping them to prepare for death as they worked with an experienced estate planning firm like Scriber Law Group to create an estate plan that includes items such as a will, power of attorney, advance health care directive, and more. For most though, it is impossible to plan or ‘get organized’ for the amount of grief you may feel afterward, even if you may be acting as executor of the estate and continuing to make sure their wishes are carried out afterward.
And while we all deal with death in different ways, here are some healthy tips to inspire you during the difficult grieving process:
Acknowledge and feel the pain: no one enjoys being miserable, and because of that you may even attempt to block the pain or avoid it. Some individuals throw themselves into other activities, begin working long hours, or may even turn to drugs and alcohol to cope. Being realistic about your grief and accepting that it will take time to heal is an important part of the process. Taking care of yourself and continuing to be healthy should be a priority though.
Reach out: this may be hard at first. You may be too grief stricken and the emotions may be too raw for you to open a conversation at first, but soon you will probably need a strong support system. Others have been through similar experiences, and you will probably be surprised to find out how many people are there to lend an ear or share their own difficult stories to inspire you or help give you faith that your grieving too will subside eventually.
Try to keep up with your schedule: it may seem like an impossible task at first, but maintaining your normal life routine as soon as possible will help the time pass—and after all, you are still living—it’s not worth it to let your own life fall into disarray. Taking on a new project or hobby may help too.
Understand the different phases of grief: although none of these stages are enjoyable, it is helpful for many to understand why they feel the way they do, and how emotions seem to change from denial to anger, to bargaining to sadness—and finally, to acceptance.
Many in the grieving process also seek out help from a counselor or therapist, especially if the sadness or depression wears on for an extended period.
Scriber Law Group is an Atlanta estate planning practice able to help you with everything from a simple will to more complex planning of your estate, along with business and financial planning, creating trusts, and managing them. We will work with you directly in the process, also helping you to avoid any tax complications or potential conflicts with family over what you have outlined in your will or trust. Call (404) 939-7562 or contact us online for a free consultation.
