#copingwithgrief

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I’ve learned a lot about coping over the last few months. I used to think that coping with bad situations or negative emotions meant that you treat them as if they aren’t impacting your life or day-to-day activities. You just carry on as normal with the feelings in the background. Maybe that’s an effective way of coping in some instances. However, coping with the grief and emotions that have come with the death of my daughter has required a different strategy. The way I feel every day is front and center, so I have learned to actively and deliberately cope. 

These days, coping means allowing myself to feel everything, and rearranging my life around those feelings. Coping means prioritizing me. It means that relationships evolve, and endings will be written. Coping means that I respect myself, my triggers, and my own boundaries. To cope, I must draw a line and stay on the right side of it. The wrong side of that line is everything that hinders healing, whether intentional or not. It doesn’t matter what it is. Everything that hurts goes over there, even if it’s not meant to be hurtful. Conversations, images, people, and situations that draw me deeper into my grief hole are on the wrong side of that line. I have to stay on the right side.

The right side has intentional acts of compassion. It’s where I find comfort and validation. It’s where I feel sane, despite my utter lack of control over my emotions. I feel loved on the right side of the line – not just because the word “love” is spoken, but because an act of love is given. It’s where no explanation is necessary, but any explanation is useful. The right side is where I can talk about my emotions, my grief, my trauma, and my experience and not feel judged. I can cry openly and feel safe on the right side of the coping line. I’m free to express myself without the added pressure of trying not to offend anyone. I can be me – the new me – on the right side of the line.

There are very few places I can go that fall on the right side of the line, but those are my favorite places and the only places I will go these days. I use the word “places” figuratively. A place can be a person, a situation, a conversation, a thought, or a literal place. But, they are safe and welcoming. These places may be new. Places that were once on the right side of the line might have migrated over to the wrong side, and vice versa. I cope by taking a step back from time to time and understanding on which side of the line everything and everyone in my life stands. There is no overlapping. Overlap is confusing, and confusion is hurtful.

I can’t imagine what it’s like for my parents to lose their son, their only son, but I had grief too. I really wish (some) people would have realized that and included me. I was hurting too and sometimes I really wasn’t okay, but I didn’t feel like I had the room or even the right to address that. This wasn’t with friends or family, thankfully. It also enforced this idea that I had to be strong for my parents. I don’t believe people intended it, but it ended up making me feel like I couldn’t be grieving too, because then I would be “weak” or making it worse for them.

The funny, or maybe ironic part, is that my brother was the strong one out of us. He was smart and always had an idea or some plan. When my grandma died, he was calm and kept us together. I wonder now if we didn’t give him a chance to feel like he could grieve... I guess I can save that for another day. After him it’s me. I’m not trying to say my parents or my sister aren’t, it’s just.. Short strory: again, when my grandma died her things were with her brother and his wife. There was (and still is) drama and issues with them. The family ended up electing me to go out there and deal with them, since my brother wasn’t able to.

Grief can feel overwhelming, especially during its most intense stages. Understanding what you're experiencing can bring comfort, validation, and hope for healing.

Getty When my mother was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, it was the most difficult time of my life. Not only was I dealing with her care, but I was anticipating her slow, inevitable decline and death. I was living in a kind of betwixt and between, trying to balance caring for her, my young children, and my patients, while feeling palpable grief for what I was about to lose……Continue…

💦 Water: A Gentle Healer in Times of Grief, Stress & Emotional Overwhelm

During times of grief, trauma, anxiety, or deep emotional stress, even the simplest acts of care can become powerful steps toward healing. One of the most supportive, nurturing, and often overlooked tools is water.

Staying hydrated isn’t just about physical wellbeing — it plays a vital role in supporting emotional and mental balance.

Water transports essential nutrients to your cells, supports brain function, helps stabilize energy, and eases physical symptoms such as headaches, tension, overwhelm, and fatigue — all of which intensify during emotional stress.

Here are meaningful moments throughout your day when drinking water can gently support your healing:

💥 Upon waking – Warm lemon water boosts antioxidants & vitamin C.

💥 Between meals – Helps reduce emotional snacking.

💥 During stress or anxiety – Encourages clarity, grounding, and emotional steadiness.

💥 Before, during & after exercise – Replaces lost fluids and supports recovery.

💥 When unwell – Hydration is essential for your immune system.

💥 During PMS – Helps ease bloating and fluid retention.

💥 Mid-afternoon slump – Water refreshes your energy better than coffee.

💥 When you have a headache – Often a sign your body needs hydration.

💥 For healthy weight balance – Supports digestion and reduces bloating.

Water is a simple, loving act of self-care — and sometimes the gentlest rituals are the ones that help you heal the most.

Let hydration be a companion on your journey back to balance, clarity, and emotional strength. 💧💛

👉Discover more about the ~ Amazing Benefits of Lemon and Hot Water!