Despite the title of this blog, and what so many others might have said to you, grief is not something you have to deal with. It’s not a problem to fix or some task you need to complete, it’s an experience that moves with you every day, in its own way and at its own time. That’s also why it’s normal to wonder how to deal with grief and to find ways that make it a little easier.
When we’re not creating memorial jewellery for our community, we’re often talking with them, listening to what this journey feels like, the things that help, the things that don’t, and the reminders that make each day a little softer. What follows isn’t a set of rules you have to follow, but just a gentle guide that is built from real conversations with our customers and our own experiences to help you move through grief in a way that feels right for you.
Learn More About Grief
Grief can feel confusing, especially because you’ll likely find that your emotions change from one hour to the next. That’s why understanding grief and how others experience it can help bring your own understanding and steadiness. Just simply knowing that shock, overwhelm, anger, confusion, exhaustion and forgetfulness are all part of grief can help you feel less alone in what’s happened inside you. Many people also spend time wondering whether grief is normal, particularly when their emotions seem to change so frequently.
You might also hear people talk about the stages of grief, but just remember that while these stages might help some, they’re not the same for everyone. Most people don’t move through them neatly or in order. Instead, most will find that they move forwards then backwards, skip parts, circle around and maybe not even recognise themselves in them at all. That’s because there is no right way to grieve.
Seek Support
One of the greatest things you can do when looking for ways on how to deal with grief is reaching out to support. For some, they consider asking for help a weakness, but it’s not. It’s a huge strength. Grief can be heavy and carrying it alone can make it feel even heavier so by sharing how you feel with someone who cares, whether that’s a friend, a family member, a GP or a bereavement counsellor, can really help you feel less isolated. Understanding the connection between grief and mental health can also help explain why loss affects both our emotional and physical wellbeing so deeply.
You might not have the words at first, and that’s okay. Just by asking for company can be a great start in opening up those conversations. If your circle is small or you don’t feel ready to speak face-to-face, there are many UK organisations offering bereavement help, as well as online communities filled with others who understand the kind of loss that rearranges your world. Our own Bereavement Support Facebook Group is a welcoming place where people share their own thoughts and stories, and you can too.
Celebrate Their Life in Your Own Way
As much as it might be portrayed as just sadness, grief is so much more. It’s also love, comfort and memory, and in some instances, celebration. Taking moments to remember the moments and memories they gave you and being able to celebrate them is a beautiful way of living with your grief.
You can do this in any way that feels right to you. It could be by swapping stories with someone who knew them, cooking their favourite meal or visiting a place that mattered to you both. There’s no pressure to “celebrate”, especially if the word feels too bright too soon. But you are allowed to find moments of joy and remember the things about your loved one that make you feel joy and peace. Those moments of happiness and even laughter don’t mean you’re forgetting them or have stopped missing them, it just means their love continues to fulfil your life.
Let Yourself Think About Them
Many people try to stay busy so they don’t have to feel the sting of loss. And while distraction can help for a moment, constantly avoiding your feelings can make the weight of grief even heavier. When you’re figuring out how to deal with grief, it’s important to know that thinking about the person you’ve lost, even when it hurts, is another form of honouring them.
It can be helpful to take moments to remember their voice, the way they said your name, their habits and feeling their presence. This can help bring comfort as well as sadness. You might want to create small rituals that help you connect with them, like lighting a candle, journalling their name, or speaking out loud to them when the house is quiet. These little moments can be incredibly healing over time. Everyone’s experience of grief and healing looks slightly different, which is why it’s important to find rituals and routines that feel right for you.
Be Kind to Yourself
If there’s one thing we’ve learned about how to deal with grief, it’s that being kind to yourself is one of the most important things you can do. You don’t have to fight the emotions you feel, you don’t have to be productive or upbeat. You are allowed to feel however you feel and do what you need to do to feel lighter.
Try to give yourself the kindness you’d offer someone you love going through the same thing. Be sure to eat when you can, sleep when your body asks for it and try to stretch your legs and get some fresh air when you can. You also deserve to let yourself cry, or don’t cry at all. Both are completely normal.
Keep Them Close with Memorial Jewellery and Keepsakes
For many people, having something tangible to hold onto and look at regularly can help bring comfort when the world feels unsteady. Memorial jewellery is one of those things. It’s not something that will “fix” anything, but being able to carry a real part of your loved one with you, like their handwriting, fingerprint, ashes or a photo of them, can be incredibly comforting.
Different pieces speak to different people. Some wear their memorial jewellery every day, while others tuck it safely inside a drawer and reach for it only on hard mornings or anniversaries. There is no wrong way to use a keepsake like this. The important thing is that if it brings comfort, that’s enough.
At Inscripture, this is the part of our work we hold with the most care. Memorial pieces aren’t created lightly. Every engraving, every resin pour and every finishing touch is done slowly and respectfully by a real person, because we understand what these items mean. You’re trusting us with something irreplaceable and we never forget that.
How to Deal With Grief: You Don’t Have to Do It Alone
If you take anything from this, let it be this: you don’t need to rush your healing, you don’t need to be strong all the time and you don’t need to learn how to deal with grief. What you need and what you fully deserve is support, time and compassion. If you’re looking for more support, we’ve also shared additional tips for navigating grief that may help during difficult days.
And if, one day, you feel ready to explore memorial jewellery and keepsakes as a way of keeping someone close, we’ll be here with open hands and hearts to help you bring it to life. You’re welcome to browse our memorial collections whenever it feels right, and our team is always here to answer questions if you have any.
