Building Your Resilience: Caring For Your Mind, Body, And Soul

The last couple of years have brought many new challenges: working and learning from home, isolation from loved ones, canceled activities, mask mandates, and for many, sudden illness and loss. While the pandemic may not be completely over, we may finally be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. 

Each of our stories is different, but we all have something in common– we seek ways to remain resilient. Adapting in the face of adversity, trauma, grief, or other significant sources of stress takes mindful action to cultivate resiliency. 

Families who suffer the loss of a loved one frequently turn to their funeral director, like Dignity Memorial®, or trusted others, like TAPS, for help coping and to draw strength and support. It is also important to foster habits that establish a healthy environment for yourself. The following four powerful recommendations from Dignity Memorial® can help you to build resilience and care for yourself while you grieve and mourn. 

Self-care is an important activity to do every day because it nourishes your mind, body, and spirit and allows you to thrive. None of these habits require a great amount of time but can increase your productivity and energy levels for a happier, healthier life. As the country and the world start to reopen and we find some new routines, remember that caring for yourself is vital. Maintain a healthy relationship with yourself as you grieve by setting realistic expectations and by being kind, gracious, and patient with yourself.

Photo courtesy Pexels

Self-Care Tips 

1. Build Connections with Others

After months of solitude, it may be difficult or awkward to find yourself back in social settings. However, finding time to create intentional and thoughtful moments with loved ones and others who share similar experiences can have a profound impact on your well-being. Embrace moments with your loved ones and friends by being present with them, and give yourself time to adjust to being in-person again. 

2.  Unwind and Unplug

Take a break from technology to recharge your brain, and get rid of mental clutter. Use this time to re-prioritize tasks, contemplate next steps, engage in a favorite or new hobby, decompress, or slow down. 

3.  Get Outdoors

Spending time in nature is a natural mood booster. Exercise, garden, take a stroll, or simply listen to the sounds of nature. Studies have shown that spending time in nature has a wide range of health benefits– including lowering your stress hormone levels, blood pressure, and heart rate. It is important to give yourself space to simply breathe and be. 

4.  Practice Healthy Habits

Grief is physically exhausting, so it’s important to eat well, stay hydrated, rest as well as you can, get some physical movement, and surround yourself with positive, encouraging people. These things feed your body and your spirit. 

Dignity Memorial® Grief Library 

To help guide us along our journey, a wonderful list of resources is available for us online via the Dignity Memorial® Grief Library. A TAPS partner and team of local funeral service professionals, Dignity Memorial® has designed recommendations to help us build our resilience and take care of ourselves while we grieve. Remember that this is your unique grief experience, and with Dignity Memorial® and TAPS, you will always have support for the road ahead.