The Healing Power of Routine

Six tips to establish new norms after grief

How do you rebuild your life when you've been through a profound loss? Grief is a natural part of life, and you can't gloss over it. It's imperative that you acknowledge your grief and embrace the healing process to work through your emotions and feelings. If you lose someone or something, you will naturally experience grief, from crying to lingering sadness to outright mourning.

Routines provide comfort because they offer you a level of control that can soothe anxiety. When you lose someone, your normal routine can be a stark reminder of everything you've lost. So, a new routine is about finding a new way to exist as you try to get back on track.

So, establishing a new routine can be healing, helping you get back into the swing of everyday life while you continue grieving. It might sound insensitive, you might think it's impossible, but it's an essential part of protecting your well-being. Here, we discuss six tips to establish some new norms after grief.

A Slow Start

You have to take your grieving journey as it comes, so start slowly when it comes to establishing a new routine. You don't need to rush through anything, you can take it at your own pace by making small adjustments like setting a wake-up time, scheduling gentle exercises, and self-care practices. Build on them when you feel ready.

Prioritize Yourself

It's easy to let yourself go during times of grief, but you have to prioritize yourself and practice self-care. It's part of establishing a new routine and that means getting enough sleep, eating well, engaging in your hobbies, and even grief counseling.

Set the Schedule

Once you set your schedule, it's important to remember it's flexible. When you're trying out a new routine after a loss, there will be days more challenging than others. Your emotions will be heightened around significant dates, and you have to give yourself leeway to roll with the punches.

Rituals

You should incorporate rituals of remembrance around your loved one. This is personal, and the ritual that you choose might only make sense to you, but that's okay. Maybe it's about observing Taco Tuesdays or always starting an evening with friends with a comment of remembrance about an obscure sports star. It doesn't have to make sense to anyone but you, as long as it reminds you of the happiness your loved one brought you.

Lean

When you're grieving, it's common to feel alone, but you can't give in to the temptation to withdraw and isolate yourself. You need people now more than ever. So, make an effort to spend time with family and friends and accept the emotional support they're prepared to offer you.

Accept the companionship people want to give you, accept the assistance they want to provide you with, whether it's delivering casseroles or cleaning the house. Don't be afraid to seek support and lean on the people who love and support you.

Realistic Goals

As you establish a new routine, be realistic when you set goals, and ensure they're achievable. What type of goals should you set? That's up to you, but it could be something as simple as walking around the block every day, making an effort to text a friend, or getting a load of laundry into the washing machine.

Accomplishing goals every day can give you a sense of purpose and increase your confidence by giving you something to complete as you try to move forward.

When you lose a loved one, it's a reminder that life is painfully short. So, if you're not satisfied with where you are in life, now is the time to reassess your situation and look at what positive changes you can make. Rediscover yourself and take the opportunity to thrive.

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If you liked this content, check out my article entitled, “What Does Starting Over Really Mean?”

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