Valentine’s is portrayed as a day for celebrating love and happiness with your significant other, but it can bring up a mix of sad emotions for those who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Anticipating, identifying, and knowing how to cope with the feelings that surface will help you feel at peace and calm this Valentine’s Day. It’s common to experience feelings of grief, loss, or isolation after the loss of your loved one, but for someone with a preexisting mental health disorder or in recovery, it’s even more vital to be on top of these emotions so they don’t trigger any episodes or relapse.
Honor Their Memory
Depending on how recently you lost your loved one, be sure that you have fully grieved their loss. Experiencing the entirety of your pain without judgment is necessary to find peace and healing surrounding their death. After you’ve allowed yourself the time you need to grieve and fully process your emotions, only then can you honor their memory and look back with a happy heart on the beauty of the time you shared. Letting their memory live on is one way to feel as if they haven’t truly left you. To honor their memory on Valentine’s Day, you can put up pictures of you together, light a candle in their honor, say a prayer to them, play their favorite song, or anything else that makes you feel connected to them.
Express Your Feelings
It is through the community that we can find much healing. Talking to others about your feelings of sadness can be very helpful since your friends and family may have lost their partners before, too. They can offer you compassion and empathy and help guide you through some of the turbulence of what you feel. Seeking a bereavement support group to join is more accessible than ever with online support groups being highly prevalent in light of COVID-19. Find a creative outlet to express your grief and find healing, so try journaling, painting, sculpting, knitting, or any art medium that will get your emotions out.
Finding ways to still feel connected with your passed loved one will help you to abate the intense feelings of grief and loss this Valentine’s Day. Finding ways to honor their memory and express your emotions surrounding your loss will help you to better cope with the many difficult feelings that Valentine’s Day may bring up. Be patient and gentle with yourself as you navigate through feelings of grief or loss. If you find these feelings too overwhelming, contact your doctor or mental health professional. At Avalon Malibu, we have a team of mental health care professionals ready to help you. If you are ready to learn the tools you need to live a life of acceptance, well-being, and health, give us a call today at (844) 857-5992.
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