The death of someone close to you can be devastating, leading to months or even years of intense grief. However, you’re not alone in this experience — almost everyone experiences the death of someone close to them in their lifetime, and many people find ways to move on beyond their grief so they can live full and meaningful lives again. Here are seven ways to untangle grief and move forward from a great loss.

1) Surround yourself with support

• Talk about your feelings with close friends or family members.
• Seek out a support group for people who are grieving.
• Spend time with positive people who make you feel good about yourself.
• Do things that make you happy and help you relax, such as reading, listening to music, or spending time in nature.
• Avoid making major life decisions in the first year after your loss.
• Be patient with yourself as you heal and allow yourself time to grieve.
• Seek professional help if your grief is affecting your daily life or if you have suicidal thoughts.

2) Move your body

• Get up and move your body every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Exercise releases endorphins, which can help improve your mood.
• Connect with nature. Spend time outside every day, if possible. Breathe in the fresh air and take in the beauty around you.
• Lean on your support system. Whether it’s family, friends, or a therapist, talking about your grief can be helpful.
• Journal about your thoughts and feelings. This can be a way to process your emotions and work through them in a healthy way.
• Be patient with yourself. Grief is a process, not an event, so give yourself time to heal.

3) Practice mindfulness

• Acknowledge your grief. Don’t try to bottle it up or push it away. Recognize that you are grieving and that it’s normal and natural to feel pain after a loss.

• 4) Remind yourself of what you have learned
• Acknowledge your grief.
• Don’t try to go through the grieving process alone.
• Lean on your support system.
• Allow yourself to feel all the emotions associated with grief.
• Don’t make any major life decisions in the midst of grief.
• Be patient with yourself as you heal.
• Seek professional help if you feel stuck in your grief.

5) Be kind to yourself

It’s okay to not be okay. In fact, it’s more than okay – it’s expected. You are going through one of the hardest things a person can go through, and you need to give yourself time and space to grieve. Here are seven ways to untangle grief and start living beyond your loss

6) Reconnect with nature

• Take a walk outside every day, even if it’s just around the block. Breathe in the fresh air and feel the sun (or rain) on your face. Let nature be a reminder that life goes on.
• Plant something – flowers, herbs, vegetables, trees. Nurture them and watch them grow. Caring for living things can help ease the pain of loss.
• Visit a botanical garden or go on a hike in the woods. Surround yourself with beauty and remember that there is still good in the world.
• Go camping or spend time by the ocean. Be reminded of the vastness of our planet and know that you are but a small part of it all.

7) Keep a journal

One way to begin living beyond a great loss is to keep a journal. This can be incredibly therapeutic, as it gives you a space to express your thoughts and feelings surrounding the loss. It can also help you to make sense of your emotions and begin to process them in a healthy way. Additionally, journaling can help you to see your progress over time and serve as a reminder that you are moving forward even on the toughest days.