Southern Oregon Friends of Hospice
Supporting end of life care programs
Self Care for Grieving
“You can’t prevent the birds of sadness from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from nesting in your hair.” Chinese Proverb
Think about what helps you relax and re-energize and make time to do that when you are anticipating a loss and when grieving after a death.
Helpful Suggestions for Self Care
- Get some exercise or just move your body
- Go outside and breathe some fresh air
- Pet your dog or cat
- Read a chapter in a favorite book
- Go to the mall or out to lunch with a friend
- Watch a funny movie and laugh
- Write in your journal or write on anything
- Take a nap
- Listen to some favorite music
- Slow down and don’t do everything at once
- Have a good cry
- Learn to prioritize
- Call a friend and get some support
- Stick to a routine which works for you
- Write down a list of your needs and how you are going to meet them
- Identify and talk about your feelings
- Recognize that you’re only human
- Hug a child
- Meditate and pray
- Find hope in your life
- Make a list of things you can do to take care of yourself
- Make a list of people you can call when you need help
Source:
Marty Hogan, L. M. (2009). Anticipatory Grief. Ashland: Sacred
Vigil Press.
Contact Us
Southern Oregon
Friends of Hospice
P.O. Box 1182
Ashland, Oregon 97520
Phone: 541-488-7805
Hospice Unique Boutique (HUB) website
HUB Calendar of Events [PDF]
