Loss and appreciation are emotions that at face value appear dramatically different from each other. Anger is an intense feeling of displeasure that results from a terrible loss and takes over one’s life. Sorrow is a typical way that is used by individuals to describe their feelings when suffering the loss of a loved one or something dear to them and has symptoms that affect the emotional, physical, and psychological aspects of a person. Bereavement is different from person to person and may take place in several steps or phases, whereby the stages may be sequential or may occur concurrently, and include; denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Whereas, gratitude is the positive acknowledgment of life’s blessings. It means admitting the positives even amid the challenges and the adversities.
Understanding Grief
Bereavement is defined as the profound feeling and righteous pain which results from loss most especially the loss of a close one through death. These comprise sadness, anger, confusion, relief and any type of response that ranges from entirely negative – to the exclusion of positive – to fully positive. Mourning is considered a highly subjective experience and was described by different phases, to name a few: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. These losses are not untapered and may overlap at some point or maybe cyclic since grief is a very complicated process.
Understanding Gratefulness
Appreciation, or Gratitude, involves recognising and valuing the things that have been received or been given. It includes the act of searching, finding, and agreeing with the good that is present in one’s life, including during challenging times. Thankfulness strongly contributes to thankfulness, satisfaction, and inclusion. Since trying to avoid things is counterproductive and increases one’s vulnerability to negative psychological effects, selecting what exists to concentrate on multiplies positive emotion strength and, therefore boosts mental health.
Gratitude during grief and loss of a loved one: Searching for things to be grateful about in moments of sorrow is not easy but it is one of the most helpful activities. In grief, one dwells on the aspects such as loss and sadness while in gratitude, one considers the positive side of life. Here are some ways to cultivate gratefulness while grieving: Here are some ways to cultivate gratefulness while grieving:
Acknowledge the Good: This means that even in the most terrible and horrific scenarios of life, human beings get a measure of happiness from other facets of life. Mull over these positives is so helpful because it gives perspective and allows us to feel normal. This might involve such activities as the appreciation of natural resources, engaging in favourite activities and others who derive their joy from simple things.
Cherish Memories: Recollections of the deceased can be comforting and alternatively a way to still be able to relate with them. Recalling the good moments and the affection evidenced in the relationship can help the damaged person to be thankful for having lived those moments. This may include the use of stories, photos or a memory album.
Appreciate Support: It is during such times that one gets worried, distressed and overwhelmed and this is where the standby of friends, families, and the larger society comes in handy. The support people receive can enhance relationships and offer stability to attune with feelings of appreciation or gratitude. Such gestures as a brief email or a word of appreciation help to remind about these contacts.
Focus on Small Blessings: Gratitude therefore is not necessarily a big gesture or reference to major events. The small things include things as simple as a warm drink of tea, a beautiful sunny day, or even a word of encouragement from an actual stranger. These are things that, if one recognizes and cherishes, will indeed go a long way in helping one to deal with grief.
Practice Mindfulness: Mindfulness means being in the present without evaluating oneself and the circumstances. This practice can help control the emergent feeling that is due to grieving. One may be grateful for the present moment as a result of practising mindfulness; this might apply by pursuing breath, meditation or even halting.
Gratefulness about Grief
That is why it is possible to be grateful during grief for several reasons. It helps develop the strength to cope with a wealth of emotions, as well as change users’ viewpoints and avail both mental and physical health in addition to social relationships. Here are detailed aspects of why gratitude is crucial during grief: Here are detailed aspects of why gratitude is crucial during grief:
Emotional Resilience: Gratitude helps to develop protection against negative emotions due to which the person becomes emotionally stronger. Mourning is not free from emotion, and one could spend some time in feelings of sorrow, rage, and perplexity. By concentrating on the appreciation of what one has, a firm ground is made regarding emotions, making it easy to deal with the different emotions in one’s life. Hope can be said to be related to the concept of gratefulness because it enables one to focus on the positive things that are around or still available.
Positive Perspective: Thus, whereas grief is all about the loss, gratitude directs the attention to the good things in life. It is possible to manoeuvre a shift in perspective that can cause a change of heart and enable people to find a reason to be alive right from sorrow. For instance, some of the benefits that may be psychologically soothing include the ability to recall the happy moments in life and how the deceased person was beneficial to one’s life. It relieves one’s suffering and it makes people embrace whatever they have instead of dwelling on what they have lost.
Mental Health: Gratitude, as an intervention, is effective in decreasing the symptoms of depression and these are usually observed in the process of grieving. Recognizing and tracking personal standings for a specified period, or general expressions of thankfulness to other people can be useful in overseeing these difficult feelings. So, paying attention to what one is grateful for can help one overcome psychological issues that are inherent in mourning. These alternatives produce a better outlook on life, and this in turn promotes mental health.
Physical Health: Happiness has also been found to be relevant to patients’ physical health with benefits like improved sleep quality, reduced stress levels, and general well-being among the benefits. When one is in the process of grieving, the stress levels are high and this sometimes has negative effects on health which include; poor sleep, low energy, and a compromised immune system. Regarding the physical consequences, such as the deterioration of a person’s immune system and susceptibility to cancer and other illnesses, it is possible to ward them off if one learns to be grateful, for when one is grateful, then one is healthy. Such gratitude practices come in handy, as one has to follow a healthy lifestyle as much as possible during the grieving period.
Realistic measures for encouraging gratefulness during grief
- Gratitude Journal: Writing daily what one is thankful for in a diary has helped change the ways by which one looks at things and acknowledges the positives. This practice can be particularly beneficial and assist with reminding the patient of the positive emotions and aspects of their life more than any other means.
- Express Appreciation: Writing ‘thank you’ may strengthen feelings of gratitude by using words to express gratitude to people who helped. I learned that simple gestures of recognition can bring enormous support and contribute to people’s sense of belonging.
- Meditation and Prayer: Beck’s cognitive triad focuses on the use of reflective practices like prayer or meditation to produce a gratitude organization. It also promotes consciousness and attentiveness in carrying out activities that can enable people to appreciate the good things in life.
- Acts of Kindness: Helping others by some means will create feelings of usefulness and perhaps thankfulness for that good opportunity. Volunteering can give a feeling of purpose and the ability to help other people while in grief.
- Nature Walks: This can provide solace and thankfulness as much as it can take away dullness and boredom as argued by Ryan and Deci. The natural environment results in a state when the mind and the body are at ease and people learn to appreciate the moment again.
Conclusion
To work through the potential difficulties associated with grief in the face of disability and retain a spirit of thankfulness for life’s experiences is a delicate art, but it is also an effective and helpful one. Grief brings in the realization of the loss that we have incurred and the effect that is likely to have in the lives that we live while gratitude brings in the strength to move on and stand up for life in any situation as it provides a balance which helps in healing the losses. With gratitude incorporated into the grieving process people are given hope and strength to get through the loss even comes with purpose. The working through of grieving and appreciation, while seemingly being on the same continuum, provides a richer and more fulfilling way to experience grief, thus enabling the person to mourn the loss while not forgetting the good things in life. It also opens one’s eyes to appreciate and acknowledge the beauty and gifts that life continues to present before us even when we lose our loved ones.
