My Nana passed away a little over a month ago while I was here at school. Trying to cope with this loss so early on in my college experience has been very difficult. Dealing with grief while you’re away from your home can feel extremely isolating and lonely. Over the past weeks, I have struggled with feelings exactly like these. However, through my experience, I have learned a few tips to live by to try to minimize these feelings as best as humanly possible.
- Talking About Your Grief
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Just talking about what you’re feeling can take a big weight off your shoulders when dealing with grief. Virginia Tech offers various resources to help you work through your difficult feelings. TimelyCare offers students free, 24/7 access to counseling resources, including unlimited access to emotional support hotlines whenever you feel you may need it.
- Take Care of Yourself
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Taking care of yourself when grieving can look like many things to different people. For example, I have enjoyed reading books and devoting myself to hair care. To you, taking care of yourself might look like working out or keeping your room clean. Whatever you need to do to take a little bit of this added sadness and stress off is what you should be doing.
- Reach Out to Loved Ones for Help
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You should not have to go through this process alone. Having support from family members and friends is going to help you immensely. One of the hardest parts about dealing with grief in college is feeling like you have no one in your corner, especially if you are a freshman or a transfer student. Making new friends could be a way for you to get your mind off of all the heavy feelings you’re dealing with. Try eating or studying at a place you don’t typically go to. You may be surprised how many people you might meet. But, at the end of the day, your friends and family are just a FaceTime call away when you need them.
- Allow Yourself Time to Grieve
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Don’t rush things. Depending on how much time passes, you might feel some pressure that you need to be “over it” already. Take. Your. Time. Grieving is not a linear process. You will have good days and bad days and that is completely okay. Rushing to heal will only make things harder. Be kind to yourself.
Of course, these tips will not ease your grief entirely. There is nothing in the world that can do that for you except time. Devoting time to allow yourself to grieve is the absolute best thing you can do for yourself when experiencing a loss.