First of all, remember that there is no set time frame for when you will return to normal after cremation services Waite Hill, OH. This article aims to highlight the main phases of grief that most people go through before and after losing a loved one.

It’s not written in stone that every person must go through all these phases or they come in the same order. Each person, each death, and each relationship is different – and so does the grief timeline. There’s no way to predict your exact grief journey. However, we can guess the general outline.

Check out what you might expect from a grief journey:

1. Before the Death: Anticipatory Grief

This happens when the loved one was experiencing a terminal illness and you knew all the way that the death was coming. Now the grieving begins.

Anticipatory grief can add a whole new layer to the grieving process and often extends it. The grieving person grieves over time lost, or perhaps a future that will never be. This grieving stage can be just as fierce as the grief after your loved one has passed.

2. Immediately After Death

Shock and anger are the two initial reactions from the grieving person. This can last for hours or days depending on how the loved one has died. The shock will affect everyone differently, from tears to hysterical laughing and often, complete denial.

3. Grief During the Funeral

While arranging for the last services of the loved one, the toughest phase of grief sets in. But it is also a vital part of the healing process. Your life is still far from normal, and your grief is still raw but there’s no escaping it.

Acknowledging the changed reality is the best way forward.

4. Grief After the Funeral

Now, that’s the part that often hits the hardest. Friends and family go home and return to their everyday lives and you need to cope with grief alone.

In addition, the grieving person needs to handle several important tasks related to closing bank accounts, and credit cards, and collecting life insurance and pensions of the deceased. During this time. You need self-reflection too.

Don’t resort to loneliness or locking yourself in the room. Try keeping track of the things you need to get done and slowly start accomplishing that list. With time, you will begin to learn a new normal for yourself. Beginning to adjust to a new lifestyle will help with your grief.

5. Months or Years Later

And life continues to go by, and generally, the grief starts to lessen as you live from day to day. But that’s not the rule. You may often find yourself asking the same why and how questions.

But hopefully, the sharp edges of your grief will soften. The grief will not subside completely but like a shadow that follows you. Not always visible or always felt, but still there. The person finds comfort in the memory of the lost loved one until they completely adapt to the changed reality after cremation services Waite Hill, OH. Contact us today.

Cremation services Waite Hill, OH, let you say goodbye, but they don’t erase your grief. Imagine that your friend has lost their spouse or some other loved one a year ago. Their death anniversary is approaching and you want to show love and support to them.

Are you short of ideas on how to comfort the grieving friend? Check out the below tips:

1. Bring a Meal

Your grieving friend may not be up to doing much on this day. So, consider cooking for them or picking up take-out. If you can’t do either, have something delivered to their doorstep.

You can send anything as long as you know what your friend likes. If you’re having any doubts, ask what you should bring to them.

But what’s best is to cook for your friend while they sit and relax, talk with you, or just take a nap.

2. Share a Favorite Memory or Story

It’s better to meet them in person and share a memorable story of the loved one. If you cannot make it in person, write a card and briefly narrate a story of the loved one that they haven’t heard before. Don’t hesitate to give a call and assure them that you’re always present for them.

3. Bring a Gift Basket

There are plenty of gift baskets you can buy for your grieving friend. But if you want to make it more personal, consider doing it yourself.

Fill up a basket, bag, or plastic bin with comforting gifts and delectable treats. Go with a spa theme, chocolate and fruit, journals and art supplies, and coffee/tea, or get a popcorn tub and fill it with movies and movie snacks.

4. Babysit the Kids

If they have young children, offer to watch the kids (at your place or theirs) so that they can get some alone time. Maybe they would like to go out on a long walk or hike.

If it’s a couple who lost a little one, watch the other kids so they can go out together and strengthen their relationship in the midst of their remembering.

5. Share a Special Activity

Your friend needs some activity to get a fresh breath of air during such tough times. This can be anything that they love to do or play. But be sure to talk about it first. The activity shouldn’t be too overwhelming yet meaningful.

Here are some good ideas:

• Go with your friend on a walk or hike to visit a favorite spot.
• Take them out to the restaurant where they had their first date.
• Watch a favorite show together.
• Substitute your presence where their loved one used to be – not that you’re taking that person’s place, but rather you’re enabling your friend as they experience some of those things they used to do.

Hopefully, you’re now in a better position to show your love and support to a grieving friend after the service at cremation services Waite Hill, OH. Contact us today.

Cremation services Waite Hill, OH, can change you. You must have heard, “No two persons grieve in the same way.” Grief is a highly personalized event that varies from person to person. But Therese A. Rando found out that the mourners have certain commonalities in their grief journey.

Based on his research, Rando categorized the grief journey into six separate stages known as Dr. Rando’s Six Rs of Mourning. These include:

• Recognize the loss
• React to the separation
• Recollect and re-experience
• Relinquish old attachments
• Readjust
• Reinvest

He further divided the stages into three distinct phases, which are:

• Avoidance
• Confrontation
• Accommodation

Let’s learn more about Rando’s Six ‘Rs of Mourning:

Phase 1: Avoidance

It is the person’s first reaction to hearing about the loss. At first, the mind finds it difficult to acknowledge that the loved one has passed away. According to Rando, this stage has just one task – recognizing the loss.

After some time, the person understands and accepts that the loved one has gone forever. And there begins the next phase which Rando calls the confrontation phase.

Phase 2: Confrontation

After acknowledging the painful reality, the person comes up with defense mechanisms to deal with the grief and sorrow that accompanies the death of the beloved. Generally, the mourners cope with the set of emotions in three separate tasks:

React to the separation: This stage involves reacting to and embracing a set of powerful emotions due to the passing away of the loved one. Consider this phase as how one accepts, feels, and responds to the loss.

Recollect and Re-experience: The bereaved start thinking about all the good and bad memories spent with the lost loved one. Thinking of the various ups and downs in life, and how the deceased brought positive changes in their life.

These memories define how the mourner finds a new relationship with the deceased.

Relinquish old attachments: It is the third and last stage of the Confrontation phase. The person doesn’t forget the loved one completely but instead, goes through a slow and gradual process to start adapting to the new reality. To the reality of life without the loved one.

Phase 3: Accommodation

In this phase, the mourner tries to find the meaning of life without the departed soul. The feelings of sadness and sorrow still accompany him but he is able to overcome them eventually and find moments of happiness in life.

The two stages of this phase are:

Readjust: Trying to forget or get past the grief of the loved one and return to the normal routine. The loss of the beloved may have induced a permanent change in your outlook but will be better poised to cope with the challenges of daily life.

Reinvest: The mourners try to reinvest emotional energy by trying to explore new avenues of happiness. Such as indulging in new hobbies or fun activities that give them peace of mind.

The grief journey begins before the final service. Still, cremation services Waite Hill, OH, will let you say goodbye. Contact us today.