Take Care of Yourself During Grief and Stress

Stress Affects Your Overall Health

There is always some form of stress in our lives; those attacks, big and small, that create anxiety and grief. Some are nuisances and some are devastating, but there are always stressors attempting to rob us of our peace and health. It doesn’t matter what’s going on in your life or how great the stress is, you should always be mindful of your health, fitness level and emotional state. Actually if your stress level is extremely high, you are at risk for more, and even serious, health complications. Now I don’t want to sound like your mother, so you ask yourself…are you getting enough rest? Are you eating nutritious foods? Are you exercising regularly? Are you feeding your spirit positive energy? Are you taking care of yourself? One of the most detrimental mistakes we can make in our daily lives, and in the grieving process, is to neglect our health, which affects our overall well-being.

Nurture Your Body, Mind and Spirit

Grief and stress can create an enormous attack on all three parts of your being. Your body, mind and spirit each feels the negative affects and each needs to be protected, fed and nurtured for optimal health. The body, mind, and spirit cannot be separated so you must give equal respect and attention to each component. There are things you can do to improve the health of your overall being and increase its ability to battle the stressors that life brings.

• You must keep your body healthy and strong with good nutrition. Eating disturbances can sometimes occur during grief and stressful times and there may be a tendency to overeat, under eat, or seek comfort in unhealthy foods. Try to make better nutritional choices for your body like drinking more water and eating more fresh fruits and vegetables instead of junk food and sugary snacks.
• It’s also very important to be physically active to combat stress and grief. It’s best to avoid too much TV, video games and other sedentary habits and get up and move instead. Get your body moving; it improves the health of your mind and spirit also.
• Sometimes grief can be very exhausting so getting enough rest is very important. Your body, mind and spirit will all benefit from plenty of rest and a good night’s sleep.
• Take care of your mind by reading, learning, and engaging in stimulating conversations.
• Feed your spirit through prayer, meditation, reading encouraging words or the Bible, and enjoying quiet time.
• Share your thoughts and feelings with someone in your support system.
• Journaling and the creative arts also help to relieve and express emotions that can negatively affect the body, mind and spirit.
• Be mindful of your appearance with good hygiene, dressing nicely and wearing a smile. You feel better and more confident when you go out looking your best.
• Nurture your spirit by giving of yourself and helping others. Find creative ways to enhance someone’s day or even positively change someone’s life!

Use Healthy Energy to Combat Stress and Grief

It’s so very important that you take care of yourself, especially if you’re experiencing grief of any kind. Whether your grieving the loss of a loved one, dealing with the loss of your job or recovering from an illness, you need to make your health a priority. Creating a good balance of the body, mind and spirit will also help you to remain healthy and strong. Keeping your “total self” in a healthy state allows you to use your positive energy to combat the stress and grief life brings. So make it a priority to take care of yourself and use your valuable energy for positive progression, whether in grief recovery, stress reduction, or life in general.