Healing Times - Taking Care of You

~Sleep will sometimes be difficult, but try to remain on a fairly regular schedule as far as going to bed and rising. You may need to take some extra little rests through the days.
~Drink lots of water. Try to restrict your intake of caffeine.
~Get some daily exercise. Go for a walk around the block or through a park. Take a friend with you. Cry while you are walking if you need to. You are going to feel physically tired and depleted, but you need to get some daily exercise. Try to get even just 15 minutes of walking in a day for benefit.
~Be aware that certain calendar markers (monthly anniversary dates of the death, a birthday – yours or your loved one, holidays … can trigger intense sorrow and grief. Plan ahead to do something on those days or to be with somebody.
~Talk about your loved one and your relationship – with friends, support groups online or local groups or journal online in a blog or write in a notebook. It’s important to get your feelings out. Friends, family, and co-workers may tire of the subject - that’s why grief support groups, people who understand the need to keep talking about our departed ones, are so wonderful. Try to always include a positive point in your conversations or writing: something positive about the relationship you had, a good memory of a time together.
~Distractions are good, too. Plan a short trip away to visit friends or relatives.
~Concentration can suffer during grief, as can organization. Keep a notebook handy to make lists of things you need (grocery, household items), things you need to do (pay bills, take pet to vet), things you want to do as time and energy and desire allow (scrapbook, thank you cards, paint a room), and resources you might want to explore later (a support group you’ve heard mentioned, a book you might want to locate and read, a new class you might want to take).
~Start some new traditions – perhaps you can plan these with your family and friends – during holidays or on other special days. You could, perhaps, participate in a fundraising marathon every year in memory of your loved one, or donate to a special cause. Maybe you might want to consider serving meals to the hungry and homeless during the holidays. You could have a special holiday memorial wreath to honor your loved one in addition to your regular holiday traditions.
~Be careful driving. Plan driving during daylight hours after you are most rested. Drive short trips only or plan for more frequent rest stops on route.
~Be careful with candles. Because our concentration and coordination isn’t the best, especially during the early stages of grief, candles can be left burning unsafely when we go to bed or take naps or leave the house. One of my doctors suggested not even using candles for the first six months or putting someone else in charge of extinguishing them.
~Limit your exposure to news reports on the radio, television and newspaper about tragic events.