Schools are canceled, holiday travel has been cancelled, and entertainment has been canceled. All of this fear and panicked without any tools to process our emotions.
Grief is a normal and natural reaction to an emotional loss. It is also a change in something that is familiar.
Change in a familiar routine is something we are all experiencing and whether or not we are aware of it we are all being impacted by these changes.
“This my friends, is grief – the normal and natural response to change or loss of any kind. And from it – we are not immune.” Lois Hall
There are also the intangible elements of grief such as loss of dreams, loss of expectations, loss of hope, loss of safety, and loss of trust. Our regular routines of going to the grocery store to purchase essentials have been disrupted.
Here are a few thing you can do to cope:
Don’t try to distract yourself from the chaos around you. Be honest with your emotions and what it is you are feeling. Don’t try to be strong. Don’t bury your feelings. Don’t pretend that you are OK if you’re not.
What are you feeling? Express these emotions. Perhaps you are feeling fear, anxiety, stress, concern, confusion, helpless, hopeless, powerless, thankfulness, gratitude, sadness, or resolve? It can be healthy and helpful to identify them, name them, give them a voice.
Find a friend or confidant who is willing to allow you to express your emotions openly. Someone who will not judge you or try to change how you are feeling.
We have to take just 1% responsibility for the emotions we are feeling in order to begin the healing.
We cannot change what is happening but we do have a choice in how we respond.
It is in being honest with our emotions that we take the first steps in taking our power back. We take a step away from the chos.
A few more suggestions:
Stop watching the news. If there is something you really need to know you will be notified.
Mindfulness meditations can bring you back to your centre.
Create your own social distancing. Limit person to person contact and of course wash your hands and stop touching your face.
Step away from all technology one hour before retiring to bed.
Spend some timing colouring, it is another form of meditation, and can very effective in quieting the mind.
Communicate to those that matter to you in your life.
This evening I had a friend check in on me because I hadn’t been present on Facebook as much as I usually am but it felt good to be cared for 😊 Being intentional about these caring communications allow us to be complete.
And finally for those of who who have completed the Grief Recovery Method program with me get out your purple book. Take a blank piece of paper and apply the proven steps you know will allow you to complete the incomplete emotions you may be feeling.
This is a tool you have for a lifetime and can be used in any situation that is kicking you off your centre. Use the Grief Recovery Method program technique to bring balance to the chaos.
Looking for support?
Canadian Grief Recovery Method Specialist, Tammy Adams loves to problem solve, inspire and motivate others who are ready and committed to change. Tammy has spent over 30 years in the field of education and as a Certified Life and Executive Coach Tammy teaches individuals to challenge and conquer their limiting beliefs and insecurities to create the life of their choosing. As a Grief Recovery Method Specialist Tammy understands that unresolved grief can limit an individual’s capacity for happiness and is gifted at supporting individuals through the pain and isolation cause by an emotional loss, of any kind, to a place of happiness they believed no longer existed. Tammy’s clients say, “Tammy helped me unpack the baggage and put a smile on my face in the process. It’s a rare quality for someone to fully listen without judgement but yet still steer you in the right direction.”
To learn more about Intuitive Understanding please visit www.tadams.ca or contact Tammy by email at tdadams@rogers.com