Coping with Grief
What are some coping strategies for grief?
Coping with grief takes time, and it’s important to allow yourself to feel and process your emotions. Seek support from friends, family, or a therapist, and don’t be afraid to lean on others. Take care of your physical health by prioritizing rest, nutrition, and movement. Honoring your loved one through rituals, journaling, or creative expression can also help. Most importantly, be patient with yourself—grief isn’t linear, and healing happens at your own pace.
What're the 3 Cs of grief?
Can't
This represents the feelings of helplessness or powerlessness often felt during grief. It may be difficult to understand or accept the reality of the loss, and there may be a sense of not being able to move forward.
Couldn't
This refers to the feelings of guilt or self-blame that can arise, questioning whether there was something more you could have done to prevent the loss or to help the person who has passed.
Won't
This addresses the resistance or fear of moving on from the loss. It can be difficult to imagine a life without the person or thing you’ve lost, and there may be a reluctance to embrace change or the future.
Expert Support for Managing Grief
What are the seven stages of grief?
The seven stages of grief, based on the extended Kübler-Ross model, include:
- Shock & Denial – Feeling numb or in disbelief, struggling to accept the loss.
- Pain & Guilt – Overwhelming sadness, regret, or guilt over things left unsaid or undone.
- Anger & Bargaining – Frustration, resentment, or trying to make deals with a higher power.
- Depression & Reflection – Deep sorrow, isolation, and reflection on the loss.
- The Upward Turn – A shift toward feeling calmer and more stable.
- Reconstruction & Working Through – Beginning to adjust to life while integrating the loss.
- Acceptance & Hope – Finding peace, embracing memories, and moving forward with new meaning.
These stages aren’t linear—coping with grief is unique for everyone, and emotions can come and go in waves.
How do you release grief from your body?
Grief doesn’t just affect the mind—it lives in the body, too. At Sarah Cline and Associates, we help clients process and release grief through movement, breathwork, and somatic techniques. Physical practices like gentle stretching, deep breathing, and grounding exercises can help ease the tension that grief creates. We also incorporate mindfulness and body awareness to reconnect you with yourself, allowing emotions to move through rather than stay stuck. Healing is not just about talking—it’s about feeling, releasing, and making space for peace in both the body and mind.
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