Tips for Navigating Through Widowhood

Everyone’s grief is different. There’s no wrong or right way to grieve.

• Try to avoid making major decisions for at least one year after your loved one’s passing.
• Be kind to yourself. Your life has changed drastically and it takes time to adjust and heal. One day at a time…
• Take care of yourself. Try to eat nutritious food. It’s easy to forget to eat altogether. If your friends/family offer to cook for you, let them. It makes them feel better as well.
• Enlist the help of friends as much as you can. Although a lot of tasks (dealing with assets, accounts, etc.) cannot be handled by anyone other than you, a friend can provide support and a second set of ears.
• Do not worry about what other people think. Do what is right for you. There’s no one-size-fits-all manual or timeline for grief.
• You will have setbacks. Certain things, locations, dates and events can often be triggers that launch you back into deep sadness.
• Try to stay somewhat busy. It helps to distract your mind and gives you a break from constantly thinking about your loss at least a little bit. But also take the time to grieve, reflect and acknowledge your emotions.
• Keep a diary. It can be helpful to express your emotions and thoughts in writing. You don’t have to write every day, or a lot, if you don’t feel like it. Sometimes a diary entry might just be one or two sentences about how your day was.
• Once you start feeling a little bit better, maybe pick up an old hobby or a new one.
• Try to find things (activities, surroundings, music, etc.) that bring you joy and brighten your day in some way. Focus on yourself and what you like. And then enjoy those things and little moments of happiness without guilt!