Those FIRST few MONTHS after LOSS

how I survived the first few months after losing loey

Have you experienced a loss? 

Do you know anyone who has experienced a loss? 

Have you just experienced your loss, and feeling overwhelmed and confused in you grief? 

If so, this one is for you.

But FIRST, 

I feel like I need to say that grieving is NOT only limited to those who have experienced someone passing away. Nope! 

When I lost my health to autoimmune, I grieved. When I had miscarriages, I grieved. When I was struggling with my infertility, I grieved. 

Grief is a normal and natural reaction to a loss or change of any kind. It can have emotional, physical, psychological and spiritual impacts. The experience of grief is complicated by the conflicting feelings brought about by loss or change. It is a multifaceted response. As described in the Kübler-Ross model, although limited but worth considering, the five stages of grief can include denial or isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.*

Loss is the process of losing something or someone. It can create an experience of mental suffering, distress, sharp sorrow or painful regret. Loss is very much like the state or feeling of grief, where one feels deprived of someone or something of value. Some examples of loss are death, divorce, separation, marriage, miscarriage, dismissal from work, church or other communities, retirement, change in health, pregnancy, business, change in financial state, change of home, children leaving home, becoming a parent and more. There are also intangible losses like loss of self, loss of trust, loss of faith and loss of control.*

What do these definitions mean to you? What comes up for you as you read them? 

For me, the knowing that grief is normal and a natural process allows for me to create space and self love through my process. 

I remember the first few months after losing Loey, I was a MESS.

I felt like a zombie in my own life. I didn't have the energy to think and eat or even think about taking a shower. I didn't know if I was going to make it or not. 

I had to ask for a lot of help, and I ate a lot of ice cream. I learned to not judge myself if I was too tired to do anything that day. I also learned to set boundaries around my healing experience. I had to find the courage and strength to live one day at a time. I had to create self-care moments each day to help me find purpose. 

I wrote an E-MAG about my first few months after my loss.

People have shared that after reading my e-mag they felt less alone, that it was an easy read to help them understand what they were going through. 

"Jenn's self care tips really helped me, and her story about grief exhaustion made me realize I wasn't going crazy." Jennifer, Vancouver

I would love to share how I survived my few months after losing my daughter with you, in hopes that you too will find some comfort in knowing you are not alone, and yes you are not going crazy in this sea of grief and loss. 

Sign up below  + I will email you my EBOOK and a manifesto that you can send to your family and friends to help support you through your loss. 

With love + strength, 

*[above definitions from IGC Grief + Loss + Trauma module, that I wrote for their life coaching training program]