You’re going to re-evaluate your friendships.

There are those who you felt close to, before the event. Now, they may still Like your Facebook activities, but you rarely pick up the phone and call them. Maybe dealing with raw emotions isn’t as easy as talking about the soap opera events at their workplace, but you’ll start to realize that those friends who have maybe been in the background might just be the ones you can feel more at ease with now.

Death does not reflect an image of someone who is sleeping.

Your loved one may resemble a waxwork. There’s a mix of chemicals that are used to help make your loved one look (and smell) their best. Death can be ugly, and the mix of formaldehyde, disinfectant and other chemicals used in the embalming process kills cellular proteins – preventing their use by bacteria and so preventing the breakdown of the skin. Continue reading →

Managing your emotions during a time of grief can be difficult, but you can stay sane if you make it a priority to experience grief in a way that will allow you look back on the experience without angst.

In fact, helping yourself during the grieving process will help you smoothly transition back to normality more smoothly. There’s no reason to feel guilty about doing so. If it were the other way around, would you like to think of your survivors’ anxiety should you fail to return to them one day?

Fake it till you make it. That doesn’t mean to say that you fake being happy. All too often, we isolate ourselves from others during our grief. We give up on actions we normally take for granted: simple things like brushing our teeth, walking with a friend, reading a book.

Even if you feel that going for a run with your usual running buddy is the very last thing on Earth you want to do – go do it. Continue reading →