Letting go of a loved one involves allowing yourself to grieve fully, accepting the reality of the situation (whether death or a breakup), practicing self-compassion, seeking support from others, and gradually shifting your focus and energy back to yourself, often through gratitude and self-care. It’s a process of honoring memories while acknowledging the end, and it requires patience, as there's no quick fix.
10 Ways To Cope With The Death of a Loved One
How To Let Go of Someone You Love
Grief is difficult to accept and move on from because it can be incredibly painful and overwhelming. The loss of a loved one, whether it be through death, divorce, or even just a breakup, can leave us feeling confused, isolated, and alone.
What to do for someone who is dying
In many cultures, the number 40 carries profound symbolic meaning. It represents a period of transition, purification, and spiritual transformation. The 40-day period is often seen as a time for the departed's soul to complete its journey to the afterlife, seeking forgiveness, redemption, and peace.
The “three magic phrases”—you will not be alone, you will not feel pain, we will be okay—struck a chord with me not only as someone who has sat beside dying friends, but as someone who has wondered what I would want to hear if it were me.
Final stage (minutes before death).
In the last minutes of life, breathing becomes shallow and may stop altogether. The heartbeat slows and eventually ceases. The body may make reflexive movements, such as small twitches, but these are not signs of pain or distress.
The hardest deaths to grieve often involve a child, a spouse/life partner, or a loss due to suicide or homicide, as these challenge fundamental beliefs about life's order, shatter primary support systems, or add layers of trauma, guilt, and unanswered questions, leading to potentially complicated grief. However, grief is deeply personal, and the "hardest" loss is ultimately the one that feels most significant to the individual.
The "3 Cs of Grief" offer a simple framework for navigating loss: Choose, Connect, and Communicate, focusing on taking small, active steps to manage emotions and find support rather than following rigid stages. This approach empowers you to Choose what helps (like activities or rest), Connect with supportive people, and Communicate your needs and feelings to trusted individuals to foster healing.
The 2-2-2 relationship rule is a guideline for couples to keep their bond strong and fresh by scheduling regular, dedicated time together: a date night every two weeks, a weekend getaway every two months, and a week-long vacation every two years, which helps prioritize connection, break routine, and create lasting memories. It's a framework to ensure consistent quality time, even with busy schedules, to prevent boredom and strengthen partnership.
1. You're feeling complacent or stagnant: this is usually obvious and can be so subtle you wouldn't even consider it might be time for a change! If you're normalizing feeling this way and thinking it'll pass, it's a good idea to take a minute and ask yourself what part of your life is making you feel this way.
Reflect on why holding on is harmful and consider what positive outcomes may arise from releasing it. Accept that letting go is a process that takes time. Mindfulness helps by keeping you present, allowing you to observe your thoughts and feelings without judgment.
For some, denial or anger is the hardest while others may struggle with bargaining. Depression, however, often lasts the longest and someone is most at risk of experiencing prolonged, destructive grief during this phase.
When grieving, don't suppress emotions, isolate yourself, rush the process, or use substances to numb pain; instead, allow yourself to feel, stay connected with supportive people, and seek professional help if needed, as grief has no timeline and everyone experiences it uniquely. Avoid platitudes like "everything happens for a reason" or "they're in a better place," and don't make major decisions too soon. Focus on self-care, even if it's basic, and accept that grief is messy, not linear.
6 Things to Do When You Miss Someone Who Has Died
Many people wonder if their departed loved ones visit them after death. Spiritual beliefs vary widely, but many cultures and religions hold that our connections with those who have passed continue in some form. Some believe that after death, loved ones can reach out through dreams, signs, or other subtle ways.
Symptoms of acute grief include intense yearning or longing for the person who died, intrusive or preoccupying thoughts or images of the deceased person, a sense of loss of meaning or purpose in a life without the deceased, and a cluster of other symptoms that interfere with activities or relationships with significant ...
The 7 stages of grief are a model to understand loss, typically including shock/disbelief, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, testing/upward turn, and acceptance/hope, though they aren't linear and people may skip, repeat, or overlap stages as their grief journey is unique, often involving messier emotions than a simple sequence.
✨You are my seven minutes✨ refers to a metaphorical concept, that after death, the brain continues to live for approximately seven minutes, replaying a highlight reel of the best memories.
Rather, patients speak of relationships with the people they love and who love them; what life means to them and how they might be remembered; the reality of death; their hope that they won't be a burden to others; their worry about how those they are leaving behind will manage without them; and a fear of the process ...
Speak soothing words
Hospice Isn't About Giving Up
It's not a place to speed up the process of dying. A doctor suggesting hospice does not mean they're giving up on providing care and medical treatment. It's end-of-life care, but this doesn't mean giving up hope. It means shifting focus from curative treatments to comfort and support.
That said, here are nine ways to help manage your fear of death:
Many people reach up or raise their arms near the end of life—it's a common and beautiful part of the journey. Some say it's the soul beginning to lift, reaching toward something beyond.