Learning to Cope with Grief

Hello everyone!

Today, I'm doing a very different post. Earlier this week, I lost someone very dear to me, and I have been going through the emotional roller coaster that is grief. I've spent so much of life being a rock for others, that I've neglected tuning into and feeling my own emotions. Not this time!
I've become very aware of my emotions, and have chosen not diminish their meaning. When someone asks me how I am, rather than simply stating I'm okay, I acknowledge that I'm feeling sad, or angry, and it actually makes me feel better knowing that I'm not hiding what I am truly feeling.

I know I've made this blog into my space for talking about makeup or video games, but I feel that there is a need for me to be real and raw sometimes, and to just put whatever is on my mind out into the world. I'm not the type of person who freely opens up in conversations (something I'm working on), however, I have this platform to just be free and talk/write about whatever I feel, and today, I feel like talking about the fact that I am sad, but I am trying to cope.

Coping with the death of a loved one is never easy, even if you think you've prepared yourself enough, the emotional toll is still quite severe. You learn that the 5 stages of grief aren't linear stages, they get all jumbled up, and sometimes it makes it harder to acknowledge or know exactly what you are feeling, but it's okay. It's okay to feel confused about what you feel, as long as you feel it. Allow yourself to experience the emotions, the sadness, the anger, even the joy that comes from sharing your favourite memory. Allowing yourself to experience your own emotions is by far one of the healthiest ways to cope with grief. Don't bottle it up!

As much as I am typing this for anyone out their struggling to cope with the loss of someone dear to them, I'm also writing this for me, as a reminder that it is okay to feel what I am feeling. It is okay not to bounce back within the first 2 weeks of their loss. However, it is not okay to bottle up your feelings. It is not okay to alienate the people who care for you, and who are trying to reach out to you. It is okay to feel vulnerable, it is okay to cry.

I feel as though I've unintentionally vented, which truly wasn't the purpose of this post, but honestly, I feel so much better having all these things written in front of me, as opposed to being locked up in my head. If anyone out there is coping with the loss of someone they loved dearly, please don't lock yourself away from experiencing your emotions, or from the people who love you and care for you.

I may take some time away from the blog, but I've yet to decide just how long. I will do some posting on my Instagram, some hauls, selfies, and pictures of my puppy and anything else that I enjoy, so feel free to follow @ladyjpsych on IG.

Until next time lovelies,
Bye.
(^_^)/