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Organize Your Supports
Just as lives are forever altered by grief and trauma, many once-stable relationships are at least temporarily changed. By determining who and where your supports are in your newly transformed life, you can harness the healing power of the people in your life. This can be done by:
- releasing any unrealistic expectations you may have of family, friends and coworkers
- assisting people in supporting you with their “BE-ing” or “DO-ing”
- taking a break or "SHELF-ing" people who release negative energy in your direction.
Try this A2Z activity: Who's in Your Life?
BEers
These are the people in your life who might BE there to:
- sit with you
- cry with you
- provide their quiet presence in your home
- listen without judgement
- sleep next to you and your children
- hug you without words
DOers
These are the people in your life who might DO things for you like:
- make some meals
- set up a meal train
- take you to appointments
- shuffle your kids to their activities
- complete household chores
- help you re-organize your finances
- drag you outside for a walk, hike, surf, or bike ride
- organize a local outing
- buy tickets to a sporting event
- do your grocery shopping
- book a massage
- help with the care of pets
- run simple errands
SHELFers
These are the people in your life who may need to sit on your “take a break” SHELF due to negative or toxic habits such as:
- constantly judging you
- consistently giving unsolicited advice
- not giving you space and time to grieve
- leaving you feeling drained and depleted by their words or actions
Resources
Books
- 100 Acts of Love: The Girlfriend’s Guide to Loving Your Friend Through Cancer or Loss by Kim Hamer
- Effective Grief and Bereavement Support: The Role of Family, Friends, Colleagues, School, and Support Professionals by Atle and Kari Dyregrov
- How to Help a Grieving Friend: A Candid Guide for Those Who Care by Stephanie Whitson
Websites
- 100 Acts of Love – Provides practical podcasts, videos, and teleseminars for helping those who grieve
How will you organize your supports to help your healing journey?