The death of a loved one is a very painful experience.
It's just not being able to see them anymore, it means losing someone who was a major part of your life.
It is also losing all the shared memories, family traditions, and their absence in major milestones you would celebrate in the future.
Often, families never recover from the death of a relative, and things never remain the same.
This is why you must try to keep your family together after losing someone.
You can keep your family together by giving them room to express their grief.
Carrying out activities together as a family also provides grief support which keeps the family together.
You also need to be present during this period.
As a family, you can all create and celebrate with other relatives and friends a memorial to preserve the memory of your loved one.
You can also go for grief therapy jointly to navigate the grieving process together.
Read on to gain insights on how to keep your family together after losing someone.
Shock, sadness, anger, confusion, regret, numbness, depression, and anxiety are emotions everyone experiences after losing someone.
It is highly important for you to allow your family members to express how they feel about the loss.
Let them vent, cry, and scream all they want without judgment.
There are instances where hurtful words would be said.
In that event, you need to understand that everyone is going through a difficult period.
Some family members may not be willing to participate in family activities and may isolate or withdraw from interactions.
When they do all of these, offer words of encouragement.
Let everyone know that you all will be okay and stay together despite the loss.
Family members who find it difficult to express their feelings can journal or write a letter.
This would help them better share their thoughts and feelings about the loss, release them, and work through them.
In all, let them be comfortable about expressing how they feel.
It would make them understand that the entire family is grieving, and it would keep your family together after losing someone.
Activities are helpful distractions from the pain of losing someone.
As a family, you can do many activities to spend time with each other.
You can plan to take evening walks, plan meal preparation together, watch a family movie or go to the cinema, play games, or do other recreational activities.
However, don't push them or force them to participate.
In instances where they are not excited about these activities, don't bother, they will ease into it gradually.
Also, note that they might show interest today and lose interest the next day.
It is perfectly normal.
Carrying out activities together greatly helps to keep your family together after losing someone.
It fosters a sense of unity in the family.
It shows that regardless of the absence of that person, the family can still function together.
There are times when you may all feel guilty and assume that doing all these means that the presence of the person is not important.
However, you need to realize that these activities would help your family to adjust and get used to the person's absence.
You might not realize how important your presence would be to keep your family together after losing someone.
Nevertheless, it is essential for a family that wants to stay together after losing someone.
While it may seem like the entire family is struggling to cope with the loss of a person.
Being physically and emotionally present is all that may be needed to keep the family together.
Your presence is most important after the funeral.
While there may be a lot of people around after the loss and during the time of the funeral.
Most people leave once the funeral is over.
This is now the time for you to step up and be present for your family.
Their needs are also important here.
Your family's experience is different, and what they may need at this time would be peculiar to your circumstances.
Ask them what they need and ways you can be of help.
Birthdays, milestones, anniversaries, and religious holidays are difficult periods for a family who just lost their loved one.
It takes away the joy and happiness shared during these moments.
This is why you must be present to plan and prepare for them.
You must be patient with them while they sort through their feelings.
In cases where you cannot be present physically, you can make it a duty to constantly check on everyone via texts, FaceTime, or video calls and plan regular family time.
Always reassure them that you are here for them.
Another important way to keep your family together after losing someone is to find ways to keep their memory alive.
This makes it easier for you as a family to deal with their permanent absence.
As a family, share positive memories you all had and shared with the person.
You can also let close relatives and friends contribute.
A digital website can be created for this purpose, and you can read the tributes as a family.
You can choose to celebrate the person's posthumous birthday by doing something together as a family.
All these would let your family know that although the person is gone, the love and bond remain.
It preserves their memory and reminds you that they will always remain a huge part of your lives.
You can paint a picture, make a photo album or memory box, have a poem or song dedicated to their memory, write a book based on their life, or plant flowers or a tree in their memory.
Build a legacy such as a foundation, fundraiser, campaign, or charity donation.
All these help you to honor their memory and make it easy for you to move forward as a family.
Grief therapy with a professional is a good way for a family to grieve together after losing someone.
It allows everyone to let out how they feel about the loss and deal with the difficult emotions they might be facing.
It is also an avenue for you to talk about the person and walk through the grief as a family.
At therapy, you can jointly decide what to do with their things and how to celebrate their memory.
Being anxious or confused about how to give grief support to your family after losing someone is normal.
Talking to other families who have lost someone can help too.
They can share practical advice on how they were able to navigate the experience and how to keep their family together after losing someone.
It also helps you to feel less alone on this journey.
When you lose someone in your family, your major aim is to ensure that everyone stays and remains together afterward.
You can keep your family together after losing someone by letting them express their feelings, carrying out activities together, being present, creating a memorial, and jointly going through grief therapy.
https://whatsyourgrief.com/support-grieving-family-member-friend-6-principals/
https://www.apa.org/topics/families/grief
https://www.cruse.org.uk/understanding-grief/grief-experiences/losing-an-extended-family-member/
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/grief/bereavement-grieving-the-death-of-a-loved-one.htm
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor, and owner of Overcomers Counseling. I'm dedicated to helping individuals find strength and healing through life’s challenges. With a deep understanding of mental health and years of professional experience, I specialize in fostering hope and resilience while equipping her clients with tools to thrive. Passionate about empowering others, she creates a safe, supportive space where everyone feels seen, valued, and capable of overcoming obstacles on their path to well-being.
Grief can be particularly intense in the early days following a loss. However, it's not uncommon for grief to become more pronounced at certain times, like at night or in the morning. This can be due to the mind being busy processing the events that happened.
It's important to remember that you are allowed to grieve however you need to, and that doesn't mean you have to ruin the holidays for everyone else. If you need to take a break from holiday festivities, do so. Go for a walk, take a nap, watch a movie—whatever you need to do to take care of yourself. You can also try talking to your family about your grief ahead of time and asking for their understanding and support.
Yes, we provide supportive counseling for family members who are struggling with the loss of a loved one. Our compassionate therapists can help you gain insight into your feelings and provide constructive strategies to cope with the pain of bereavement.
Ignoring grief can exacerbate symptoms and make it more challenging to manage over time. This can result in a negative impact on your personal, professional, and social life, leading to feelings of isolation, chronic sadness, and even physical health complications.
There are a variety of symptoms that can be associated with grief in the elderly. Some common physical symptoms include fatigue, changes in appetite, and difficulty sleeping. Emotional symptoms can include sadness, anger, anxiety, and guilt. It's also common for those who are grieving to withdraw from social activities and lose interest in hobbies or activities they once enjoyed.
We offer a variety of specialized services, including individual therapy, group therapy, and various therapeutic approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or psychodynamic therapy.
