Self-Love During Bereavement
Self-Love During Bereavement
Yesterday was the 3 year anniversary of my brothers’ passing. Decembers are always hard for me. Although, I have grown through this process quite strongly, I still have the pain inside myself and carry it day by day.
Ravela was born during these times, when I was going through the stages of bereavement. I wanted to design and create somethings that reminds me of my brother, who was a self made custom made designers well, and I wanted to give back to the nature and my environment.
Losing my brother in an unexpected moment not only shocked my body physically but also left me mentally exhausted. In such a stressful period, rather than shutting down I realized that I needed to listen to my body and respond accordingly. Grief and stress can create an enormous attack on all three parts of your being. Your body, mind and spirit each feels the negative effects and each needs to be protected, fed and nurtured for optimal health. The body, mind, and spirit cannot be separated so you must give equal respect and attention to each component. There are things you can do to improve the health of your overall being and increase its ability to battle the stressors that life brings.
You must keep your body healthy and strong with good nutrition. Bad eating habits can sometimes occur during grief and stressful times and there may be a tendency to overeat, under eat, or seek comfort in unhealthy foods. Try to make better nutritional choices for your body like drinking more water and eating more fresh fruits and vegetables instead of junk food and sugary snacks. Studies have shown whatever you take into your body will mainly indicate how you feel mentally and physically. During this stressful time, it's also very important to be physically active to combat stress and grief. It’s best to avoid too much TV, video games and other sedentary habits and get up and move instead. Get your body moving; it improves the health of your mind and spirit also. At the same token, yoga is perfect.
Feed your mind, body and spirit. We all benefit from plenty of rest and a good night’s sleep. Take care of your mind by reading, learning, and engaging in stimulating conversations. Feed your spirit through prayer, meditation, reading encouraging words or the Bible, and enjoying quiet time. God is with you! Share your thoughts and feelings with someone in your family or friends. Whenever you feel ready to do it. Journaling and the creative arts also help to relieve and express emotions that can negatively affect the body, mind and spirit. Be mindful of your appearance with good hygiene, dressing nicely and wearing a smile. You feel better and more confident when you go out looking your best. Nurture your spirit by giving of yourself and helping others. Find creative ways to enhance someone’s day or even positively change someone’s life! Volunteering in any kind will help you to get back to your focus in life and will help to boost your self esteem.
Finally, whether you’re grieving the loss of a loved one, dealing with the loss of your job or recovering from an illness, you need to make your health a priority. Creating a good balance of the body, mind and spirit will also help you to remain healthy and strong. Keeping your “total self” in a healthy state allows you to use your positive energy to combat the stress and grief life brings.
To my mind, Ravela is a step forward towards my positive energy and to combat my stress and grief life brings.
I invite you to order one of our jumpsuits and enjoy the comfort while wearing it–it will surely put you in a “positive stage”.
YESIM Ozbarlas
Past Founder of Ravela
Board Member of Cry For Me No More, Inc..