Life Transition Counselling: 8 Steps to Reconnecting With Yourself After Loss

It’s normal to lose yourself in the midst of dealing with a life-altering loss. The world seems to stand still while your life was unexpectedly put on hold. You stop caring for yourself and the sense of disconnect makes it feel as though your identity is slowly evaporating.

In order to reconnect with yourself after a loss, it often means pressing the restart button and going back to basics. Grief tends to make us neglect our most basic needs, but those basic needs are crucial to our ability to live a happy life. Where coping on our own can prove difficult, life transition counselling offers the guidance you need to move on for a healthier, happier life.

Find Solace in Community

Be open to accepting the help that friends, family and local grief support groups can provide to you. After going through a period of grief, it’s easy for the prolonged isolation to make you forget just how important it is to stay social and connected. After you have given yourself time to be alone, don’t hesitate to lean on those closest to you for help in moving forward. If you find it too difficult to regain self-confidence, reaching out to a counsellor specializing in life transition counselling or grief and loss coaching can help.

Go on a Trip

Gathering your closest friends for a weekend getaway or going on a solo trip may be exactly what you need to get away from your everyday location. Oftentimes, a change of scenery is incredibly beneficial in giving you the necessary distance to view your thoughts, emotions and your situation as a side observer. This offers new opportunities for growth and a change in perspective.

Reconnect with the Earth

Connect to the Earth’s energy by walking barefoot on grass, sand, dirt or rock. Feel the blades of grass on the soles of your feet and the sand between your toes. This age-old grounding technique has impeccable health benefits that aids in better sleep, reduced pain and overall sense of calm. Doing this on a daily basis can facilitate inner healing and act as a form of meditation, helping us remain in the present moment.

Avoid Isolation

it’s important to avoid prolonged isolation, as necessary as it might feel when you are in the peak of your grieving period. During Covid-19, socializing was made impossible but now just as local businesses and places of recreation have started opening back up, it’s crucial to take advantage. If you work from home, try going to a coffee shop for a change of scenery. If you haven’t seen your friends in a long time, take initiative to invite them out for an ocean-side walk.

Set Small, Realistic Goals

Set goals that feel real. This might involve taking those first steps towards organizing your loved one’s possessions, getting legal affairs sorted or meeting with loved ones that were close to them. You don’t have to overburden yourself with too much, too fast. Take your time. It’s okay to be respectful of your emotional capacity and how much you’re able to take on at this current time.

Embrace the Power of Breath

When was the last time you laid still, closed your eyes and breathed? The power of breath holds within it the ability to lower stress hormones, ease anxiety, boost energy and enhance self-awareness. Lay in the sun and breathe – feel the warm rays on your skin. Focus on inhaling new opportunities and exhaling toxic old ways of being. Inhale positivity, exhale negativity.

Nourish Yourself

When you are grieving it’s easy to neglect self-care. Healthy food nourishes the body and soul, water cleanses and hydrates, and exercise boosts feel-good endorphins. Doing simple chores such as cleaning and culling possessions or clothes can also be incredibly beneficial in creating an environment that makes you feel content and productive. If it feels overwhelming, consider asking a friend or close relative to join in and help support you through this process. As Dr. Marshall Rosenberg explains in his book about non-violent communication, we are providing a gift of opportunity to another to feel good about an act of kindness when we ask for their help.

Grant Yourself Permission to Move On

Allow yourself, without guilt or shame, to move on with your life. This can seem like an impossible task when the first time you laugh or smile feels like a betrayal to the one who passed, but you have to remind yourself that your loved one would want to see you happy.

Why Life Transition Counsellor Vancouver ? </h2>

In some cases, moving on without the shame and guilt associated with new beginnings is a heartbreaking challenge that requires professional guidance. A Life transition counsellor can help you get back on track when you are ready to move forward following the experience of a loss, or an unexpected turn in your life.

Visit or schedule an appointment with life transition counsellor to see how we connect by getting in touch.