How To Cope With Death: Seven Tips To Handle The Aftermath

Death is something we all cope very differently with.

Some cope with it better than others, while some might find it really difficult to process and move past the loss, opting instead to stay lost in the grief for a long time - sometimes for the rest of their days.

Coping with death is an individual experience so it’s necessary to have some helpful tips to manage the aftermath as best as you can. It might be your first loss in life, or it might be one of many.

Hopefully, these tips will help you to cope with the death of someone you know with more ease.



1. Process the Loss

First and foremost, it’s necessary to process the loss.

Having the person here one day but then suddenly gone the next, is something that you don’t expect and can come as a shock.

Therefore, it’s important to process the loss yourself and to not allow yourself to skip past the pain that comes with grief.

Everyone’s loss is profound in its own way and the grief caused can vary again.

Regardless of how impactful the grief may be, it’s important that you’re taking the time to process it.

Whether they were a friend or family member, processing the loss is going to help navigate through each step of the process when losing someone.

The aftermath becomes a little more bearable when you navigate the situation in the best way possible.


2. Take Care of Yourself

Coping with death is both a physical and mental toll on the body. It’s therefore important to take good care of yourself.

Taking care of yourself could mean spending some time off work so that you can fully grieve and process the news without needing to worry about the things that in hindsight, seem so menial in comparison.

By taking care of yourself, you’re helping to process more easily and you’re less likely to become ill or run down as a result.

A loss of any kind can be hard to cope with and often enough, it’s easy to let the scale of it all take over.


3. Talk to Those You Trust

The people that you surround yourself with are the ones who are going to be there when you need them the most.

Therefore, the people you choose to have in your inner circle should always be supportive and for much of the time, be there for you for when you need that shoulder to cry on.

Trust is an important one, especially when it comes to the loss of someone close to you.

You might need to have some open and honest talks that only you feel comfortable talking to with some people.

Consider those you trust the most when it comes to dealing with loss. They may be able to offer the right words of comfort that not everyone can give you in these hard times.


4. Consider Seeking Professional Support

While your friends might be able to help in some ways, they might not always be as helpful as you’d hoped.

This might be the case where friends don’t know what to say or may not have experienced the type of loss that you’ve had.

With that being said, it’s worth considering what professional support is available.

Speaking to a therapist might be just what’s needed to talk through your emotions in a safe and comfortable environment.

Of course, a lot of therapy needs to be paid for but if you are struggling with getting emotional support and verbal support within your inner circle, seeking professional help might be the way forward.


5. Try to Plan Ahead for the Funeral

Planning a funeral is never something anyone wants to be faced with.

If this is your first loss then chances are, it’s going to feel very overwhelming to begin with.

All you want to do is grieve the loss of the loved one but you’re suddenly thrown into the planning and process of a funeral.



If you’re responsible for organizing the funeral, then it’s worth making a list of everything that needs doing.

From picking out grave markers to choosing what songs to play going in and out of the service, wherever it may be held.

Planning ahead for the funeral is going to mean one less stress for you and your loved ones. It’s also useful in helping set aside what is a big obstacle in the grieving process.

While planning a funeral is a distraction, it can also make the grieving process harder.


6. Acknowledge That the Pain Will Always Remain

The pain of losing a loved one is profound and a pain that doesn’t go away.

The realization that you’re not going to see that person again is hard to comprehend and takes time to navigate.

For many, it’s a case of knowing the pain will always be there. It’s all about managing the pain so that you can move forward with your life in the best way possible.

When you’ve lost a loved one, it’s important to recognize the pain that’s felt and to try and embrace that pain as much as possible.

Living with the pain will get easier but it’s something that never really goes away.


7. Do Something to Remember Them Every Year

In order to remember the ones you’ve lost, it’s a good idea to try and do something to remember them every year.

After all, you don’t want to spend the day that you lost them, aimlessly walking around, trying not to think about the inevitable thought of them being gone.

You could go out for a meal, take a walk with others who’ve lost the person, or write a post on social media celebrating their life.

Doing something to remember them will make the loss more manageable and will be a way to help recognize the impact and love you had and still have for them.


Coping with death is different for everyone but hopefully, with these tips, you can navigate the loss in a healthy and bearable way.


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