When you’re grieving, everyday life can sometimes feel overwhelming. Stress can creep in quietly or hit like a wave. To mark Stress Awareness Month, our friends at WAY Widowed and Young are sharing some words of advice from their members. Drawing on their experiences as widowed parents, they share six tips for helping to navigate even the most stressful of days.
1. Reach out for support
One of the hardest parts of losing a partner is losing the person who always had your back. Many WAY members have found that simply having someone to reach out to – a friend, a relative or others who’ve been widowed too – makes a world of difference. Just knowing someone is there to listen and understand can help to ease the stresses and strains of everyday life.
2. Step outside
Getting outside, even for ten minutes a day, is something that WAY members highly recommend. Whether it’s a short walk around the block, getting out into the garden to smell the flowers or feed the birds, going fishing or sitting quietly with a warm drink in a peaceful spot, being in nature offers a gentle reset.
3. Do some exercise
Others find comfort in routine exercise, like going to the gym or doing stretches or yoga at home – something to shift focus and release tension. Join a local club to help connect with other people in your area who share similar interests. There are free community exercise opportunities too like Parkrun, which takes place at locations across the UK every Saturday morning at 9am – you can walk or run the 5k course and buggies are allowed at many locations. There are also family friendly Park Yoga sessions in some locations from May to September on Sunday mornings.
4. Tap into technology
Technology can be a quiet ally in a stressful world. Audiobooks and podcasts can offer comfort and distraction during difficult moments. WAY members also recommend meditation and mindfulness apps like Headspace or Calm to help with sleep, anxiety or simply for taking a moment to pause for breath.
5. Get crafty
Craft activities can be surprisingly soothing when life feels overwhelming. Whether it’s knitting, painting, colouring, baking or even simple DIY projects, using your hands to make something can help to quiet a racing mind. Try a few different activities and see what feels right. Even five minutes of crafting can create a small sense of calm and achievement.
6. Practise self-care
Simple rituals can be surprisingly powerful. Journaling before bed to release racing thoughts. Soaking in the bathtub or standing under the shower. Reading a light-hearted novel to redirect the mind. Watching a good TV show. Listening to music that suits your mood – whether it leads to tears or dancing. Even just recognising when you need a rest day and giving yourself permission to take it. WAY members agree that taking a few moments to look after yourself is really important, particularly if you are also caring for others.
Grief and stress often go hand in hand. There’s no right way to handle it and no timeline for healing. But in the middle of the most stressful moments, the smallest acts of self-care can help to create some much-needed respite.
About WAY
The WAY Widowed and Young community offers a safe space to talk to other people (both with and without children) who understand how it feels to be widowed at a young age.
Find out how WAY can support you at www.widowedandyoung.org.uk
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