When you lose a loved one, the world can seem to stand still—or, worse yet, speed up around you in a whirlwind of decisions and stress. The time following the passing of a loved one is immensely, immensely difficult. There’s nothing that a simple blog can do to erase the pain of losing a loved one, but we’re here to offer a few general insights for dealing with the struggles and responsibilities that come with moments like this.
Grief and mourning
Dealing with loss can be tough on our mental health. Even the strongest of us can feel despair and loss, and the passing of a loved one can be an immense burden.
Our responsibilities don’t cease when a loved one passes—in fact, we may find that we suddenly have new ones. In the rush of responsibilities and tasks related to memorial services and estates, we may feel that we barely have time to process our own grief.
But we have to make time. We owe it to ourselves and to our own mental health. Besides, we can’t be the responsible and reliable people we need to be at this moment if we aren’t coping with our own grief.
Take some time to feel your feelings, and don’t be afraid to reach out to a mental health professional. You wouldn’t avoid the doctor if you were hurting physically, so don’t avoid a mental health professional when you’re hurting mentally. Take care of yourself, address your feelings, and don’t rush yourself through the grieving process: it’s important to experience this, even if it’s painful. A grief therapist can be a big help during this time.
Remembering your loved one
Though it may be painful, a proper memorial service for your loved one can help you experience your grief and get closure at a difficult time.
You can handle the arrangements yourself by dealing with each person or service individually, but you don’t have to—you may want to consider working with a funeral director or another expert to handle each step of the process for you. Having a planner and only having to pay one bill can reduce your stress at a key time.
Be sure to consider the wishes of your loved one as well as of yourself and your family. Your loved one may have left instructions in their will or with a trusted family member. Cremation services and burials are both options, and the deceased may have had a preference for religious or non-religious memorial services. In this case, be sure to choose a reliable and sensitive provider, like Heritage Cremation Provider. Respect these desires, even if they’re tough: you’ll feel better and get more closure when you complete your loved one’s wishes.
Your loved one’s estate
When your loved one has passed away, the last things you’ll want to think about will be money and the law. Still, these are concerns that must be addressed. Fortunately, you’ll be able to get a lot of help from a qualified attorney.
Your loved one may already have had an attorney whom they worked with on their will. Sticking with this attorney is an option. You can also consult with other attorneys.
Make sure that you choose a lawyer who will handle this issue with sensitivity and care. By relying on the right experts, you can gain a bit more breathing room for yourself, which will give you more time to focus on your own mental health needs and those of your family.
The death of a loved one is never easy. No decision you make after the passing will make the pain go away. But you can make life a little easier and give yourself the power to address your needs more directly if you rely on experts to help you through your grief, memorial service planning, and legal requirements.