HEALING FROM SECONDARY GRIEF

Prioritize sleep and keeping a healthy diet.

Exercise or simply taking a daily walk will help immensely with your grief.

Grief Share

Find a counselor to help you grieve and process your specific circumstances.

Although your grief is secondary, it is still real. Acknowledging it and allowing yourself to process will go a long way in your healing journey.

Set boundaries in your life as you learn what your family needs and how to cope in life after death.

Be patient with the primary grievers in your life. They will struggle with executive function skills, lack of sleep, and decision making. Allow them to relearn these skillsets without getting angry.

Be careful not to overpower the primary griever with your own sorrow. This will overwhelm the relationship and cause unnecessary tension.

Practice gratefulness. Keeping a journal may be a great way to achieve this and keep your heart attitude in check.

Clear communication will help you as your family rebuilds and remember everyone is grieving differently.

Asking your church or small group to provide your family with meals in the beginning is good as your family may be helping support the primary grievers in different capacities. For example, my dad's small group brought a few meals a week to my dad and sister while my mom was living with us for two months after Aurelia transitioned to Heaven.