5 Ways Seniors Can Navigate Life After Loss and Find Healing

You don't truly understand the weight of loss until you've picked up your phone to call someone, only to realize they're no longer with you. Often, such a painful oversight happens just as you were getting over your grief.

Dealing with life after loss doesn't get any easier with age. In fact, coping with the emotional labyrinth of bereavement is an essential part of good senior mental health.

Interested in learning more about effective coping strategies for older adults in Glendale, WI? Read on to learn more about this crucial topic.

1: Don't Avoid Talking About Life After Loss

One of the most common mistakes when healing after loss is when you avoid the topic altogether. When you're feeling the pain of losing a loved one, it's often tempting to withdraw. Grief is always complicated, but here are some common reasons why someone might divulge their feelings to friends and family:

They haven't accepted the loss yet
They don't want to burden others
They don't know how to talk about their feelings
They don't want to bring up difficult feelings by talking about it

While avoiding the subject might prevent difficult feelings in the short term, you simply can't bottle these feelings up and hide them. If you do this, then grief gets more complex over time. According to Psychology Today, you'll struggle to process your feelings if you never share them with others.

So, effective grief support for seniors means talking it out. Describe your feelings and share memories with a trusted confidant, and suddenly the vast labyrinth of life after loss starts feeling a little more manageable.

2: Rethink Your Routine

Having a positive routine is an important part of emotional wellness in aging. For example, according to the International Journal of Community Based Nursing and Midwifery, taking daily walks is a great way for seniors to reduce their blood pressure. With that said, in the face of loss, a tried-and-tested routine could be a significant source of pain.

The daily walks you used to take with your spouse probably don't feel appealing when you're forced to take them without them at your side. When someone who was fully integrated into your daily routine passes away, breakfast feels awkward, and by the time you're watching the 5 o'clock news, the loneliness is unbearable.

Seniors tend to be hit harder as they likely have long-standing routines. When you've kept the same groove for decades, it's hard to imagine doing anything else. But life after loss often means doing things differently.

If you're struggling to move on after the death of a loved one, consider switching up your routine. Sticking to the same old routine means resigning yourself to living in the past. Instead, try looking forward by coming up with a new way of doing things.

3: Get Out of the House

When faced with the death of a loved one, it might be tempting to regress to your 2020 COVID-19 lockdown lifestyle. While taking some time to yourself to heal is usually beneficial, you can't hide from the world forever. According to the Journal of Clinical Nursing, isolating yourself from the world can have a profoundly negative impact on your mental health.

For example, never leaving the house after a loss could lead to:

Feeling of loneliness
Loss of interest in activities
Increased anxiety or depression
Difficulty sleeping
Decline in self-care

You don't need to run marathons or scale Mount Everest. Dealing with loss turns your whole world upside down. When you're ready to get back out there, it's ok to start small.

If you're feeling intimidated, try going to the post office or your local store. In the long term, it's crucial to stay in motion to deal with your emotions.

4: Honor Their Memory Without Idolizing the Past

When someone we love passes, it's only natural to remember them warmly. But grief has a strange way of putting people on pedestals. You start forgetting the little quirks -- how they'd leave every cabinet door open or hum off-key. Instead, you romanticize the past and remember an idealized version of the person you loved.

While remembering someone fondly is key to the healing process, thinking of them as a flawless figure can make it harder to move on. Grief support for older adults means finding a balanced way to keep someone in your heart without putting your life on hold.

Try honoring their memory by:

Cooking one of their favorite meals
Sharing stories about them with others
Visiting a place you enjoyed together
Starting a small memorial project, like a photo album

Experts often recommend these kinds of memory rituals because they help you stay connected while living in the present. Simple acts like these provide structure and comfort

You don't have to forget your past to look forward. You just have to let the memory live alongside you.

5: Make Room for New Experiences

There's a moment in the grieving process where something unexpectedly makes you smile. Suddenly, you feel a wave of guilt. After all, how can you laugh when someone you love is gone?

But the truth is, joy doesn't mean forgetting. It means surviving and living. Finding new sources of joy is essential for long-term emotional well-being.

Here are a few small ways to invite joy back into your life:

Try out a new hobby or revisit an old one
Spend time with grandchildren or close friends
Join a local community group or book club
Volunteer for a cause you care about

You're not betraying your loved one by feeling joy. You're honoring them by living life to the fullest.

Start the Next Chapter: Healing After Loss

Grief may never fully go away, but neither does love. With time, space, and intention, both can live side by side. You can heal and live a good life after loss while still holding on to what matters.

At Discovery Commons North Shore, you're never alone. Our vibrant senior living community is built on our residents finding strength and joy together every day.

Discover a Glendale, WI community where healing feels like home. Contact us today to schedule a tour at our conveniently located community.