Did you know it’s OK to practice gratitude while grieving? After losing a loved one, feeling grateful is not something many anticipate while suffering. Yet, it’s not impossible to find yourself filled with an outpouring of gratitude following your loss.
How we show our gratitude can affect the healing process. Gratitude can help bring together the past, present, and future and assist in closing the gap between you and your sadness. Use the memories and experiences that you have experienced to carry you away from your grief and towards a more positive light.
The undeniable power that gratitude holds can help you heal a little every day. It can force you to live in the present and focus on the real, present, and tangible things in your life. This power also helps you celebrate everything you have while acknowledging your loss.
Nurturing the habit of living your life with gratitude can help you increase your happiness and overall well-being. And by practicing a little bit of appreciation daily, you can change your habits and perspective on your grief and suffering. Here are some ways to help you incorporate gratitude into your everyday life.
Recognize the Little Things
Appreciating even the most minor things people do to help you will assist you in coping with the challenging emotions that accompany your grief.
Most people mean well while expressing condolences, but they may not always know what to say or how to behave around you. Whatever way someone shows you their love or support, try to reflect that in your appreciation.
Find One Thing in Every Day
Believe it or not, gratitude is healing. There are many ways to show gratitude even while feeling overwhelmed with grief. For example, you can list your everyday blessings or take note of one little thing to be grateful for each day. At first, this might feel inauthentic or disloyal to the memory of your loved one, but be thankful for your current reality.
It may not feel natural to be thankful due to your sadness. But keep in mind the number of blessings in your life, as this can help you move through your grief with a brighter outlook.
Allow Grief to Take Shape
Every type of loss brings with it its own kind of grief. Grieving is part of human nature and rests in everything we lose due to a particular tragedy or loss experience. Depending on your relationship with the deceased, you may experience the loss of your hopes and dreams, your time together, your sense of self, and your relationship with the deceased.
Lean into your grief rather than trying to suppress or avoid it. Allow yourself to feel the pain of loss. Then remind yourself that you’re grieving due to your feelings for your loved one who’s passed. Be thankful for the experience of having loved and lost.
Find Your Happiness
When you experience gratitude, you’re reminded that you can find happiness regardless of your pain and sorrow. This gratitude helps you embrace your grief and use it to move you forward in your healing.
Practicing gratitude is an excellent way to bring joy back into your life. As time passes, your grief will begin to subside. Once this happens, you may begin looking for new ways to bring happiness into your own life and others as well. Finding a renewed sense of purpose after a loss can help you heal.
Turning Grief Into Gratitude
Gratitude has the power to help you those rise above your loss. It’s life-affirming and can provide positive healing.
Living a life of gratitude can help you transform your grief and allow you to focus on the abundance that surrounds your life. While your grief may never end, it will change over time and allow you to move past the pain and suffering following a loss.