When you’re living with grief, daily life may feel like a roller coaster ride. You’re feeling emotions you may not be used to. You may have difficulty concentrating or completing routine tasks that require more brainpower than you have at the moment. Your body may experience its own ailments.
Grief also can impact your values, beliefs, and sense of spirituality. If you’re a spiritual person, you may find yourself leaning in toward that direction. If you’ve never been a spiritual person, now might be the time to consider exploring this arena.
Loss can really test your beliefs, but spirituality might just help you maintain your way.
Connecting with Something Bigger than Yourself
After a loss, you may find yourself asking a lot of questions and maybe even bargaining for outcomes beyond your control. There’s much that you don’t understand or don’t want to understand. During this process, finding something greater than yourself can be a way to manage the symptoms that you’re feeling.
What that higher power is may be different for each person. For some it might be a religious being, while for others it may be the universe. Being able to connect with whatever that power is can provide a sense of connection that has been weakened by the loss.
This connection also serves as a reminder that you’re not alone during your time of grief. This higher power is there to pick you up and walk with you through your journey.
Finding a Purpose or Meaning
While you’re grieving, you may find yourself withdrawn and detached from things you typically love. You may feel hopeless and defeated.
Having spiritual beliefs can provide you with a sense of purpose, which can be especially comforting during the grieving process. Working with spirituality can bring you closer to the thing you lost while also bringing meaning to your pain and suffering. It can help you to make sense of the situation.
Following Rituals and Ceremonies
Within most religions or spiritual traditions, there is structure and processes. There are generally some types of rituals or ceremonies for the deceased. There is also guidance for processing grief.
Following the respective rituals or ceremonies can reign in some of the uncertainty you’re experiencing while providing structure. Having these options can give you closure, help guide you through your emotions, and come to a point of healing on the other side.
Practicing Meditation and Prayer
Throughout your grief process, you may experience a flood of emotions. They can hit at any time, feel like a roller coaster, and impact your overall quality of life.
As with most mental health conditions, meditation is a great tool to help relieve symptoms you may be feeling. With grief, meditation can be a way to quiet your racing mind, bring a sense of calm, and give you a chance to sit with your thoughts and feelings to process through them.
Prayer can help you connect with a higher power and connect with your inner self. It can be a way to find peace of mind while navigating the grieving process.
Gaining Support of a Community
Spirituality often centers around that higher power and a community who shares those beliefs. When you’re grieving, what better a time to have that support system to lean on.
Being a member of a spiritual group or community can give you a sense of solace and belonging when you feel disconnected or numb after a loss. You may find individuals who have experienced a similar situation and can offer helpful advice — or at least a listening ear.
Are you currently working through the grieving process? Would you like to learn more about successfully navigating this journey? Contact us for more information about grief counseling.
