Dealing with grief is challenging but inevitable at some point in your life. Grieving can last for years, weeks, months, or years; everyone’s grief is different. The Recovery Village notes that grief can frequently cause sufferers to meet the criteria for major depression. However, you can overcome your grief and regain your happiness by following these tips from EricsHouse.

1. Eat Healthy Foods

Eating healthy foods is one of the best ways to overcome your grief. Eating foods with whole grains or foods high in omega-3 fatty acids can help fight depression according to HealthyPlace. In contrast, the classic Western diet — including high dairy products, butter, potatoes, and red meats — increased the likelihood of depression. 

Another study found adults who consumed high levels of saturated fats and sugar had more elevated anxiety levels. By consuming a healthy diet, you can reduce the common symptoms of grief. 

2. Find Ways to Exercise 

As part of living a healthy lifestyle, research shows that exercising is one of the best ways to boost your mental health and overcome grief. If you’re struggling to find time, you can increase your physical health by making small choices in your daily routine. These include taking the stairs at work instead of the elevator, taking a walk during your lunch break, or walking the dog briefly in the mornings. Otherwise, join a gym, running club, or yoga class.

3. Seek Mental Health Support 

Sometimes your grief can be too much. That’s okay. You’re not alone. You may have limited time in your schedule, so attending a therapist in-person might be challenging. However, you can now participate online, finding virtual therapy sessions from the comfort of your home. Not only can you receive professionally licensed therapy, but you can also save money and time on travel and have a broad range of therapists to choose from. Many online therapists offer a free consultation to see whether it’s right for you.  

4. Choose a New Career Path

Losing someone you love can put your life into perspective. It may remind you how short life can be. For many people, it encourages them to find a new career path, which is an excellent idea if you dislike your current job. Update your resume, skills, experience, and current accomplishments before applying for jobs. You can use a simple PDF editor to make changes—this may be helpful. Simply upload the file, make changes, and share it. 

A higher degree might help you with your new career path. There are many online bachelors and masters programs that you can fit into your schedule and complete at your own pace. If you are passionate about the law or social justice, or if your grief came from an unjust tragedy, you may find an online degree brings a new sense of meaning to your career and educational goals. 

5. Start a New Business 

Have you ever dreamt of starting a new business or becoming a freelancer? Now may be the perfect time to do so. Starting a business can lead to freedom, more significant financial success, and more fulfillment. You could even start a nonprofit as a way to shift your focus toward helping others. But before you start a business, you should consider these critical factors:

• Your skillset. What are your current skills? How can you create a freelance service around those skills?
• Your business model. What type of lifestyle and business do you want? Write a business plan to determine your path to success. 
• Taxes. Running your own business means paying your own taxes. Find out your local tax laws.

Once you’re ready to start your business, enlist the help of a formation company. They can help you get started with an LLC in Arizona. They’ll walk you through the process, saving you time and headaches in the process.

6. Get More Sleep

Sleeping can be challenging when you’re grieving. However, getting a healthy amount of sleep is essential for improving your mental health and overcoming grief. The National Sleep Foundation recommends all American adults get at least seven hours of sleep per night. Inadequate sleep can increase stress, raise blood pressure, and boost the likelihood of heart attacks. So, here are some ways to boost your sleep:

• • Stick to a schedule. Following a robust sleep schedule is one of the best ways to improve your sleep. 
  • Avoid naps. Don’t take naps to maintain a tight sleeping pattern. 
  • Reduce stress. Working out and meditating can decrease your stress levels and improve your sleep.
  • White noise. Adding white noise for sleeping can help induce a more restful sleep.

7. Reconnect with Old Friends

As you become older, you may lose touch with some of your best friends. However, meeting old friends when you’re grieving is an excellent way to boost your mental health. Although finding old friends can be challenging depending on your generation, it’s now possible to use social media platforms — such as LinkedIn and Facebook — to discover old friends. 

8. Start a Journal 

When you’re grieving, your thoughts may be scattered, which is normal. One of the best ways to understand your thoughts is by writing a journal. Your journal can be as personal as you want. You could pretend you’re talking to deceased family or friends or even talk to yourself. However, sharing your journal entries on a blog is becoming more popular. You may help millions of people across the world overcome their grief, too. 

9. Go Hiking 

Immersing yourself in nature is sometimes the best way to overcome your grief. Thankfully, there are many excellent hikes. You can hike with friends, family, or by yourself. One of the main benefits of hiking alone is forcing yourself to face your inner thoughts. It can be the perfect form of self-therapy. 

10. Find a Pet

Forcing yourself to think about positive things is critical when you’re grieving. You can do this by adopting a new pet; consider visiting your local humane society to adopt local animals. 

You Can Overcome Your Grief 

Grieving is hard, but you have the power to overcome it. We at EricsHouse have seen many people deal with the loss of a loved one. We do our best to ease their pain by providing excellent service, so they can face their grief. Try to incorporate some of these tips as you find your way through grief.

Lucille Rosetti created TheBereaved.org as a means of sharing tools to help people through the grief process. Having lost some of the people closest to her, she understands what it’s like, and how it can be an emotional roller coaster that doesn’t always seem to make sense. She’s currently writing an ebook, Life After Death: A Wellness Guide for the Bereaved, which will be available in Summer 2020.