It’s important to take a break once in a while and restore your soul, especially when doing the hard work of grief!

In my work with widowed people, I teach a concept called the dual processes of grief. In a nutshell, a grieving person needs to go back and forth between the hard work of grief (loss-oriented stressors) and the restoring of the soul ( or the restoration-oriented stressors).

The hard work looks like organizing, cleaning out, calling the legal or accounting people, the phone calls and meetings, and managing the endless logistics of life after loss. Those things are easy to spot.

The most important question becomes: how do you restore your soul when you are drained? I’ve compiled a list of restoring activities that may help you when you feel the need to just have a break from your grief. Remember, these activities are for people of a wide age range, so something that looks dated to you may be perfect for someone else!!

Restoring Activities List

• write in a journal
• go for coffee
• read a book
• knit/crochet
• browse social media (with a time limit)
• watch a movie
• take a bubble bath
• go for a swim
• bake a dessert
• call or visit a friend
• walk the dog
• pet the cat
• look at pictures (that make you happy)
• watch the sunrise or sunset
• work in the garden
• stargaze
• enjoy a fire
• make a cup of tea
• work a puzzle
• listen to a podcast
• listen to a playlist
• go for a walk
• visit a park
• rearrange the furniture
• play a card game or game on your phone
• research a new topic
• do some yoga or stretching
• meditate
• to the the beach or mountains
• go to the gym
• cook a meal
• volunteer
• paint/create art
• write a letter
• watch TV/Netflix
• take a nap
• iron shirts
• do a pleasant chore
• color in an adult coloring book
• practice a new hobby

Take the time to do the hard work of grief today. Then, give yourself that gold star for doing the hard thing and take a break with a restoring activity.

Blessings friends,

Julie Margaret