It’s no secret that these last few years have been harder than most. I know that many of you are dealing with this feeling of loss right now. Maybe its loss of a friendship or a relationship. Maybe it’s the death of a loved one. For me, I lost my mom and it took a massive toll on me and my mental health. I learned a few things about healing from loss when I went through coping with this new reality. I found that these three things really made a difference.

1. Community- I hope for you that you have a support group around you. I hope that the people in your life spend time empathizing with what you are going through and reach out to support you. When you have a community that you know really cares for you and your growth through pain, it can make all the difference in the world. If you feel like you don’t have a community around you, I encourage you to go out and look for one. Try a few churches or local sports to get plugged in. The truth is that we are all looking for that in our lives, so there are groups out there that are eager to know you. Find yourself a community. You are not alone.

1. Don't suffer in silence- I know this is a struggle for everyone but especially my men out there. I know what it’s like to be the head of the household. To have all eyes on you and you know that if you don’t show strength, your family suffers for it. I want to remind you that you can open the conversation up to your family. You can lay out the situation that you are in and your family will understand. When I was going through the loss of my mother, I had to sit down with my kids and help them to understand what I was going through. “Dad lost his mom. Everything’s going to be alright and you are going to watch Dad get through this but Dad lost his mom.” They knew. They understood that it was going to take some time and just like I promised- they watched me get through it.
2. Environment- You know how much I believe in the need to change your environment but it’s always worth reminding you. Nature will literally heal you from spending time with it. Make sure that you are taking time to go outdoors and spend quiet time with yourself as you walk through the deep loss in your life. If you would rather stay at home, I get that but make sure that the environment you are in makes you feel positive. Spend some time really cleaning a room in your house for you to sit in peace there. A clean space brings a healthy mind.

Loss is a deep cut, but you have what it takes to walk through it.

It all starts with you.