How to Mourn the Death of a Loved One in the Times of Social Distancing and COVID-19

Tragically, almost 207,000 people have died in the U.S. between February and September from COVID-19. Collectively this means there are multiple millions of people mourning those individuals; whether it’s family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, fellow church members, members of their community, or others whose lives have in some way been impacted by that individual.

During this pandemic, our important treasured cultural rituals for honoring and remembering a loved such as funerals, gatherings, and memorial services, have essentially been forbidden due to public health concerns. The simple human act of mourning has been turned upside down, leaving people with various degrees of unresolved anger, sadness, hopelessness, and fear. The usual opportunities to be able to say a final good-bye to begin the healing process have been ripped away because of social distancing and the pandemic.

Author Theresa Dominguez-Weiss, a retired Family Nurse Practitioner understands the pain associated with loss and she longs to help those in mourning. In her new book, Deathwalker: Journeys of Life, Death and Beyond, she shares her personal experiences of people dying and with death. Here she offers tips on how to HEAL after losing a loved one or someone in your life during these unprecedented, stressful times.

• Help someone else heal. Reach out to someone else who has suffered a painful loss. Listening to them and encouraging them to share opens up a different perspective that can help ease your pain. In addition, the gratitude that will come from the other person will assist in your personal healing.
• Experience nature. Throughout history humankind has turned to nature for potent comfort and powerful healing. Even if you live surrounded by concrete, find a tree, flowers, a plant. Sit or stand quietly there for a moment. If you can touch the tree or plant or flower. As best as you can block out the noise around and just completely concentrate on that bit of nature.
• Allow yourself to feel your loss. Be sad, feel choked up, feel angry, if just for a few moments. Your breathing will automatically begin to slow down, causing a lessening of the tension you have been holding, a healing to begin.
• Listen to uplifting, beautiful music. Beethoven’s, Mozart’s or Chopin’s concertos will truly uplift the spirit with their melodious notes. Neurochemical changes inside the brain, causing a sense of relaxation, actually takes place by doing this.

Dominguez-Weiss’ longstanding medical and science background supports these suggestions of assistance in activating the body’s natural mechanisms for healing as we wade through the uncharted waters of this new reality of mourning during COVID-19.

Explore Theresa’s new book Deathwalker: Journeys of Life, Death and Beyond to begin your healing process.