My spouse’s death caused me mental and physical changes. For many months after his death, I felt acute grief; intense waves of sadness, lack of direction, feeling of loneliness, unsafety, lack of sleep, etc., making me feel drained and exhausted. In addition to the new roles, becoming a mother, a solo parent and the “overwhelmed’ new and unfamiliar identity of a widow.
It was hard!
This is why disconnecting myself from my reality became important to navigate my grief. Our brain protects itself from the pain of loss through denial/numbness. I learned to trust my body and listen to myself when the “quit” or disconnection was needed.
My invitation is not only to disconnect from the world, but to connect with yourself. To do so,, I invite you to practice self-care. Start thinking of yourself; nurture your mind by becoming aware of your thoughts. Nurture your spirit so that you can feel the love of God and universe, and nurture your body that is the temple of your mind.
In addition to that, I invite you to
-keep yourself hydrated (yes, drink a lot of water)
-eat more natural foods
-establish a sleep routine
-delegate chores in your home
-schedule time not to perform any tasks
-write down your thoughts/or journal (it is amazing!)
-distract yourself and learn something new
-go for a walk, gym, Zumba, yoga or any exercise
Also, I invite you to move your body to maintain this balance between yourself and the experience of your grief. Remember, there is no single way to navigate your pain, and you don't have to be 24/7 thinking about the loss.
Seek out other widows/ers to connect with, be inspired by, and learn from this journey that we weren't prepared for, but we don't have to experience in isolation.
It all starts with you; cultivating your relationship with yourself.
What can you get out of the empty glass?
With love,
A widowed mother
PS: If you find yourself navigating grief, you have a clear "theory", but you find it difficult to experience grief in a healthy way, I invite you to schedule a coaching session. Also, I invite you to share and subscribe to my website to receive the weekly blog.
