Dealing with death
College is a time of self exploration and development. Unfortunately the world doesn’t stop or pause because of our plans.
It keeps turning as we enroll in classes, study abroad and intern for our upcoming careers in the real world. Loved ones are gained when babies are born, and unfortunately, loved ones perish.
Death is hard to deal with. And it can be overwhelming at times when you have projects and papers piling up. A loss can eat away at you, overwhelm you and make you feel as though it is too hard to bear. Many of us struggle with the losses and how to deal with them, but there are a few tips to help the grieving process and ease the day-to-day pain and stress that arises.
Often when we suffer trauma in our lives we try to overcompensate for our hurt. The most common way we overcompensate is by loading more onto our plate so that we are too busy to think about it. One of the biggest disruptions to our healing process is overworking ourselves, because it often results in a build-up of emotions that inevitably bubble over unexpectedly.
As hard as it may seem, the best thing you can do is to allow yourself to feel your emotions. No one wants to cry, but when you allow yourself to actually feel the pain, it will make the healing process easier. Carefully processing thoughts and feelings helps greatly especially because it allows you to playback forgotten memories. The key is to give yourself enough space and time to deal with your loss in a peaceful setting, alone or with others.
Chatting with other people who knew the deceased can also ease the pain. By sharing stories, we get to connect with others and remember the small things that can brighten our day. Let yourself remember the inside jokes and laughs that you shared and realize that as long as you have these memories, pictures, letters, ect., that you will always have something to remember them by.
The best thing you can do is to allow yourself to relive the happy moments you shared with your loved one. Time heals all wounds and makes the loss a bit more bearable as the days go on. You can never forget those you have lost. Instead you relive the good times and allow the memories to live on as you regain your smile one day at a time.
