How to Deal with COVID-19 Grief
Holistic Ways to Cope with COVID-Related Grief During the Holidays
It’s difficult to believe that we only have about a month left in this tumultuous year. For many, it’s been a time of uncertainty, some hope, a lot of stress, and particularly, grief.
We are grieving loved ones, careers, the loss of “normalcy”, and even the loss of the dreams we had for the year. These feelings of grief can surge even more greatly around the holiday season.
Good health comes in all forms - physical, emotional, and mental well-being. We believe that small moments of self-care, seeking support, and even certain scents can help to provide comfort and serenity to help soften the sharp blow of bereavement.
Below, we share a few ways to find small moments of joy to help you through the holidays, even though they may look different this year.
Creating A Peaceful Environment
For thousands of years essential oils have been used as a holistic way to connect our spiritual selves to the physical plane, and to promote support in times of emotional upheaval.
Many of the aromatherpeutic properties of essential oils can be a source of comfort during moments of sadness and loneliness. Just the sent of the oils can change the feeling in the room and lift the spirits as well.
Additionally, essential oils can be beneficial when added to a soothing, warm bath, mixed in with your favorite lotion or carrier oil and massaged into tense area of the body application, or when diffused in the air.
When selecting your essential oils to help you through a period of loss, consider an oil that will promote a sense of safety and comfort.
- Rose Absolute Essential Oil – nourishes and supports the heart, allows one to process deep emotions such as grief
- Neroli Absolute Oil – creates a calming, soothing environment, facilitates the release of pain
- Tangerine Essential Oil – known as a happy oil, alleviates the feeling of anxiety and nervousness
- Lavender Essential Oil – soothes and supports the heart and calms the nerves, allows full expression of self
- Frankincense Essential Oil – aids in spiritual healing, relaxes the senses, sets a tranquil mood, and balances the feeling of mood swings
- Chamomile Roman Essential Oil – enhances mental clarity, promotes courage, and offers emotional support
Essential Oil Blend For Grief
- 5 drops Rose Absolute Oil
- 3 drops Chamomile Roman Essential Oil
- 3 drops Tangerine Essential Oil
Scent is also a powerful tie to memory, so selecting an essential oil that is a reminder of the loss may help you process and honor the bereaved.
Navigating the Day-to-Day
We have certainly heard time and time again about the stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and finally, Acceptance.
Although we may feel all those things, they may not necessarily occur in that order. The grieving process is not a linear checklist, and you may feel some of the stages of grief simultaneously.
The self-care piece is especially important as you continue moving throughout your daily routine. Be sure to take small moments throughout your day to breathe deeply, check in and remember to be kind to yourself, and allow yourself grace – the kind of support you would offer to someone you love during tough times.
Our Transition Essential Oil Roll-On is an excellent, portable tool to remind you to check-in periodically. Tangerine, Rose, and Jasmine Essential Oils combine to help promote peace and help take the edge off emotions that can occur with a big life change.
For even more of a boost, select our Transition Natural Elixir. Wear as a fragrance on your pulse points or add 10-15 drops to a spray bottle with water to freshen your space.
Finding the Joy of Covid
It may sound impossible, but finding small moments of joy and taking the time to celebrate those small glimmers is a gratitude practice that helps to reframe your current state of mind.
Perhaps COVID has allowed you more time to spend time with family, to become less reliant on material possessions, and even reconnect with long lost friends. Maybe you’ve had time to learn a new hobby, acknowledge our essential frontline workers, or give back to your community. It could be as simple as enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning.
Practicing meditation or mindfulness can help you learn to be more compassionate and kinder to yourself, and allows you to be present in the moment, something that is very important when grieving.
One of our favorite ways to deepen the meditation experience is using essential oils. The aromas an act of anointing pulse points signals to the brain and body it is time to slow down.
The Chakra 4 Essential Oil Blend was formulated specifically to support the heart chakra. The 4th chakra is positioned in the center of the chest, and is closely associated with the heart, lungs, circulatory system, and hands. When our heart chakra is balanced, we can feel more at peace, compassionate, and able to give and receive love.
Apply the chakra 4 blend directly to the upper chest area and on pulse points, breathe deeply, and allow yourself to notice your body. While meditating or taking a moment of down time try chanting the Buddhist mantra, or prayer, “Om mani padme hum” to evoke love and compassion.
Taking a few moments to be present can do wonders for the mind. For more information about balancing your chakra energy centers click here.
Connecting with a traditional therapist may also be beneficial to help process your feelings and allow you to verbalize what you are going through. Taking your Chakra 4 Roll-On is a great way to encourage trust and acceptance within yourself.
Grief is a terrible feeling, and the only way out of the grieving process is through it. Take comfort in knowing that so many others have gone through loss, and know you are not alone.
There is no “normal” way to grieve or set amount of time you should take to grieve. Normal assumes there is only one way to do it, so give yourself plenty of grace – you are doing great.
It can be extremely soothing to realize that no two people grieve the same way, and what you are feeling is probably more common that you think.
We hope some of our suggestions will help you cope, and give you comfort and serenity this holiday season.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tr
acey Ellis is a beauty enthusiast with over a decade of experience in the beauty industry. You can find her in the lab, manufacturing Source Vitál Products. Tracey is a New Yorker living in Texas and spends her time cooking and spoiling her miniature husky, Tabasco.
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