Grief is a powerful and universal emotion. It’s an emotional experience that can feel like an overwhelming storm, leaving us agitated and exhausted. During these times of profound loss and sorrow, practicing self-care becomes not just a luxury, but a lifeline. “Extreme self-care” emerges as a crucial and transformative approach to going about our days.
Extreme self-care, as I share below, is a radical act of self-compassion and it involves prioritizing your physical, emotional, and mental well-being in an extraordinary way, recognizing that grief demands an exceptional level of attention and love for ourselves. In these moments of darkness, when the world may seem to have dimmed, extreme self-care can be the beacon of hope guiding us back to a place of strength, resilience, and ultimately, a renewed sense of purpose.
Today I am sharing 8 powerful and practical tips for implementing extreme self-care during times of grief.
- Break down tasks
If working and feeling distracted and unable to concentrate, instead of expecting yourself to finish an entire project in one sitting, break it down into smaller, more manageable goals.
2. Honor your feelings
Do not judge yourself for feeling angry, sad or unable to concentrate. Practice grace and compassion for yourself if you’re not feeling as emotionally resilient as you normally are. These are unprecedented times.
3. Connect
Share your feelings with the people who are your “safe” people. Don’t bottle up your rage, anger, sadness – work through it with a friend, family member or therapist.
4. Create a safe space
Create a safe and comfortable space for yourself in your home. It could a corner nook, a closet, anywhere. Fill it with all of your favorite things like bright flowers, books, magazines, a cozy blanket and a pillow, music, pictures of your loves ones. Get comfortable and go spend some time there.
5. Spend time in nature
Head outside daily no matter the weather and take a walk through a local park or around your neighborhood. Be aware of the sights and sounds around you. Leave your phone at home as a little bonus.
6. Unplug
Watching the news and checking social media is very taxing on our nervous systems. Take time each day to completely disconnect and unplug from all screens – TV, computers, phones. Replace that time with self-care activities like reading, baking, exercising, or something else.
7. Make sleep a priority
Sleep can be challenging if you are experiencing trauma and grief. Make sure you are getting enough sleep. Do something pleasant before bed so that the last imagery for your brain is positive- practice a calming bedtime routine. Make sure you’re exercising daily as this helps activate sleep.
8. Breathing of any kind
It doesn’t matter what kind – ensure that you are taking breaks for deep breaths. Deep diaphragmatic breathing calms our nervous systems down and rewires our brain for more calm. I have a beautiful 10-minute meditation for calm that you can do anytime of the day.
While during these times we may feel helpless, but the ways in which we care for ourselves during these times can make all the difference in how we emerge on the other side, stronger and more whole.
I’m sending love right now to my entire community. Stay safe, stay strong.
And if you feel ready to take your self-care to the next level, please join me in my FREE self-care masterclass. I look forward to seeing you in class.
