Getting Through Grief_ Healing Steps and Healthy Goals
Navigating grief can feel like walking through a deep fog. In fact, grief has been proven to impact memory and clear thinking, which leaves you less capable of self-care. Yet, healing from loss requires mental and physical strength, so it's crucial to set healthy goals while walking through your loss.
Psychologist Dr. Katherine King states, "Grief is a marathon rather than a sprint." Creating goals that lead you to care for yourself, help you process in a healthy manner, and get you focusing on your future can help you heal.
Simplify Your Self-Care
This isn't a time to focus on challenging daily goals. First, you must concentrate on the basics of self-care.
Maintain a schedule. Routines are centering and provide a flow to your day, which can help you remember to accomplish tasks, such as brushing teeth and eating. Wake up, eat meals, and wind down each evening at specific times.
Move your body. Engaging in 15 to 20 minutes of exercise per day can release endorphins and improve cognitive function. Exerting energy also decreases anxiety and helps you sleep.
Get sunshine. Take advantage of the California sunshine, and exercise by walking outside daily. The melanin produced in the skin through sun exposure can help fight grief-induced insomnia. Sunshine is also a natural source of vitamin D, adding another boost to your health.
Drink water. Water provides myriad health benefits. Buy a brightly colored water bottle, and keep it next to you for easy accessibility. Mindlessly sipping during the day can help you increase your water intake.
Write About Your Grief
Journaling through grief can help you process your pain. You can't process what you haven't yet discovered, so use a stream-of-consciousness technique to reveal feelings you hadn't noticed were brewing, such as anger. If you feel stuck, seek out grief-related prompts on the internet.
Focus on Your Future
The loss of your loved one is a reminder that life is precious and you must live yours to the fullest. Re-examine your professional goals, and note what holds you back from accomplishing them.
If education is the problem, set an appropriate goal. Lack of education can be a roadblock to career goals, so take this time to dive into working toward that continuing education certificate or bachelor's degree right here in Irvine. Research a reputable master's or doctorate program. An educational program can accompany you through your grief journey, keep you future-focused, and leave you with something useful: a degree.
Are you balancing family and job commitments? No problem. Online degree programs allow you to compare tuition rates, plan around your schedule, and complete a degree from home. When exploring your online options, be sure to choose an accredited program. The Irvine area is full of reputable universities and colleges, making it easy to set an educational goal today.
Self-Care Goals Help You Grieve
Loss is inevitable in life, and, unfortunately, nobody is exempt from suffering. However, you can empower yourself and carry some control of your grief process by setting helpful and healthy goals. Check out Kai Boyer Fitness for help with goal-setting and self-improvement.
Written by Guest Author, Camille Johnson