Looking after yourself while grieving or even through anticipatory grief

 

Our Complementary Therapist Ali has put together some lovely tips for looking after yourself, a friend, a family member, or even a colleague through such an incredibly hard time.

“At the beginning of Covid, I lost my mum. It was such a very sad time. I was her main carer, and had been for quite a few years whilst continuing to work.
 
Mum never came out of hospital and throughout her five week duration, due to the Covid restrictions, I was not allowed to see her.  I cannot describe how hard it was not being able to see her. The frustrations, anxieties, and emotional feelings I experienced when I had been with her every day where very hard to deal with.
 
To help myself cope I regularly practice meditation, mindfulness, and yoga and I found these invaluable survival tools.
 
As a Complementary Therapist at the hospice, I also benefitted greatly from helping others and providing therapies for them. I could see how much of a difference it was making.
 
For people in a similar situation I would recommend a gentle hand or foot massage, encourage deep breathing and walking in nature as it is the small things they can do for themselves that make a big difference. Sometimes starting with something small can seem less overwhelming and feel achievable.
 
I hope you found this helpful and I look forward to sharing with you more tips soon.”