Grief is an intense emotion and because everyone grieves differently, it’s a difficult emotion to navigate. While it’s your business when it comes to how to deal with grief, sometimes it helps to research how other people have got through the hard times.

People grieve for all sorts of reasons. We grieve the deaths of our friends, family, and pets. People also grieve the loss of a friendship, relationship, or the end of a job. It’s a strange, strong emotion that should be respected. But people rarely give themselves time to let grief sink in. Often times, people feel like they need to shake off their sadness and just get on with life. Sure, you can’t stop living, or working. But you need to give yourself time to let the sadness just sit. Respect all the feelings you’re experiencing, and don’t shame yourself if you grieve for a long period of time.

Recently, Maggie Smith, actress and all-around awesome woman, was interviewed about her life. Smith discussed fame, loss, and the death of her second husband.

Smith still lives alone since his death, and while she stops thinking about her loss when she’s working, when filming comes to an end, her grief comes back, reports Jezebel.

Smith says:

“They say it goes away but it doesn’t. It just gets different. It’s awful, but what do you do? After the busyness you are more alone, much more. A day that is absolutely crowded keeps your mind away from why you are alone but when it stops there is that deafening silence.” – The Telegraph

I hear that. I, just like the majority of people reading this, have experienced deep loss in my life. I always take solace in having time to sleep, walk around, and zone out — but work is my savior. Writing takes me away from all my thoughts about my loss. But that’s not the only way how to deal with grief. Many people find peace by reaching out to family and friends, or by volunteering time at a non-profit. Some folks even adopt a pet.

Do you know how to deal with grief? We all could use the advice, so please share in the comment section.

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Image: Cathy Baird

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