Griefandlosscounselor

Day 7 of the series Forest Bathing for Grievers. Being exposed to nature can help speed up the time it takes to recover from illness, injury and even grief. It has been proven that hospital beds that look outside to the forest and nature heal better.

Day 6 of the series Forest Bathing For Grievers. It was discovered that trees emit a substance called phytoncides. These phytoncides boost your immune system, this is definitely needed for people who are grieving but really for everyone!

Day 5 of the series Forest Bathing for Grievers. Forest Bathing has been shown to help with improving gut health. As we know many grievers can get sick after a death or any major loss. It would be beneficial for grievers to do Forest Bathing for their immune system and mental health.

Day 4 of the series Forest Bathing for Grievers. Tomohide Akiyama coined the term Shinrin Yoku or Forest Bathing. Being in the Forest improves peoples well being and health.

Day 3 of the Forest Bathing for Grievers. Research has discovered that being in the Forest improves and strengthens your immune system. When we are in acute grief our immune system are weaker. Forest Bathing is something that all grievers could get some benefit from.

Day 2 of the series Forest Bathing for Grievers. A little history on how Forest Bathing came about. The concept of Shinrin Yoku or Forest Bathing was founded in Japan in 1982. It urged their citizens to make use of the vast forest and its many health benefits.

Welcome to my new series called Forest Bathing for Grievers. The next two weeks of slides will tell you all the benefits and how to do Forest Bathing. Forest bathing is a well researched activity that can benefit anyone who is grieving from any type of loss.

The last day of the series Anxiety after a death. My hope with these series is to help people understand themselves better who are grieving as well as understanding people who are grieving.

Day 22 of the series Coping with Anxiety after a death. It is essential to be able to talk to a trusted supportive person after the death of someone you love.

Day 21 of the series Coping with Anxiety after a death loss. Breathing exercises are simple and can be effective if practiced daily especially for feelings of anxiety. One of my favorites is the 4/7/8 breathing technique. Breath 4 in hold for 7 and breath audibly out through your mouth for a count of 8 repeat 4x twice a day.

Day 20 of the series Coping with Anxiety after a death. After the loss of a loved one some grievers can experience catastrophic thinking. One strategy is to try to catch yourself when you are starting to think this way as soon as possible. Then try to pivot that thought to something different.

Day 19 of the series Coping with Anxiety after a Death. We now understand that Anxiety after a death or any loss is normal. Anxiety is our the fear of the unknown, danger and uncertainty, is it our natural response to stress. And remember death of a loved one is one of life's biggest stressors. When we start getting anxious our amygdala (responsible for our emotional responses especially fear) gets activated. Try to ground ourselves which basically means to bring your focus into what is happening around you now in your body instead of what your mind is saying. Try connecting with your 5 senses ( I see 5 things, I hear 4 things, I feel 3 things etc.), or breathing techniques, hold onto a object and really focus on it and try to distract yourself.

Day 18 of the series Anxiety after a Death. The next few slides will be on coping with Anxiety after a Death. For most people grief Anxiety usually resolves itself overtime and for some they can feel more capable then before the loss.

Day 17 of the series Anxiety after a Death. Avoidance is a natural occurrence during acute grief. Some will avoid looking at pictures of their loved one others may not drive by a favorite restaurant or park. Avoidance as we know can cause anxiety. Overtime if this avoidance goes on for long time there is the possibility of being diagnosis with Prolonged grief disorder.

Day 16 of the series Anxiety after a Death. When you have experienced a loss there are some grievers who will stay in the constant state of anxiety. They will try to control everything in their world and sometimes others to keep them and others safe. Which we know is not really possible.

Day 15 of the series Anxiety after a Death. When you have experienced a sudden unexpected loss we tend to feel the world is not safe anymore. We can also become much more aware of our own health if someone we loved died from a disease. Both of these can make us feel more anxious.

Day 14 of the series Anxiety after a Death. The loss of a loved one can be so incredibly painful and messy. Anxiety comes up if the grieving person does not believe they will be able to cope with all the grief entails.

Day 13 of the series Anxiety after a Death. People who have never experienced a close attachment loss before can have feelings of anxiety which they may have never felt before.

Day 12 of the series Anxiety after a Death. Experiential avoidance is when we experience unpleasant thoughts, emotions, or sensations, there is often a natural tendency to want to avoid these uncomfortable experiences – sometimes, at all costs. The same holds true for people who are grieving the loss especially when the grief is acute.

Day 11 of the series Anxiety after a Death. If you have suffered from anxiety before a death there is a chance your anxiety can worsen.

Day 10 of the series Anxiety after a Death. Most grievers are unaware on how powerful the symptoms of acute grief can feel like. The feelings of anxiety is one that shows up after a death even to those who may have never been the anxious type.

Day 9 of the series Anxiety after a Death. We rely on the people we are attached to in many different ways. After a death life can feel more uncertain and fearful which causes our anxiety to increase.

Day 8 of the series Anxiety after a Death. Early bereavement frequently brings feelings of inadequacy, insecurity, and helplessness that are compounded by realistic stressors such as financial adversity and social isolation, and who am I now? What does my life look like now without this person in it?

Day 7 of the series Anxiety after a Death. Research suggest @ 20% of the widows and widowers experience after the death of their spouse/partner.

Day 6 of the series Anxiety after a Death. There are many grievers who will become more anxious and cautious about their own health and the health of others after the loss of a loved one. This health anxiety can last a long time for some people.

Day 6 of the series Anxiety after a Death. This is a very common feeling with grievers. We believe the world is a safe and secure place and when a death of someone we love happens we do not feel the same way about our world. When this happens our anxiety can increase because we know how fragile life can be.

Day 3 of the series Anxiety after a Death loss. Anxiety is felt by so many grievers but has been not well researched and study in the grief field. It is starting to get more attention and awareness in the last few years.

The experience of anxiety is very similar to the experience
of fear. When we are feeling we are in danger our primitive part of our brains which operate the fight/flight and freeze response can become activated. The main difference is that anxiety occurs in the
absence of real danger. That is, the individual may think that
they are in danger but the reality is that they are not. Anxiety is a reactions to our emotions versus an actual threat. When someone dies suddenly or off time we may not have any actual danger that we will die the way they did but our emotions can make us think we are. These reactions and anxiety we have after a death are valid and need to be supported and normalized for those who are grieving.

The experience of anxiety is very similar to the experience
of fear. When we are feeling we are in danger our primitive part of our brains which operate the fight/flight and freeze response can become activated. the main difference is that anxiety occurs in the
absence of real danger. That is, the individual may think that
they are in danger but the reality is that they are not. Anxiety is a reactions to our emotions versus an actual threat. When someone dies suddenly or off time we may not have any actual danger that we will die the way they did but our emotions can make us think we are.

When we experience anxiety it often comes up in physiological ways such as rapid heart beat, shortness of breath, excessive sweating, insomnia, impaired immunity and digestive issues and many more. These same symptoms can present themselves to the survivor after the death of someone or something you love.