When a loved one dies because of an accident at work, you might prefer to distract yourself rather than take time to grieve. Although you may want your grief to simply go away, sometimes this emotion lingers. The Mayo Clinic says that you can continue to feel grief for years after your loved one’s death.
Although you may experience grief at any time, this emotion can be more intense during events such as anniversaries and birthdays. During these times, you might feel depressed or angry or have trouble sleeping. These are all normal reactions, and you can take steps beforehand to prepare yourself. You might want to plan an outing with friends or visit the cemetery to reflect on your loved one.
Sometimes smells and sights can remind you of your loved one and cause you to feel grief. This can include seemingly innocent things such as hearing a favorite song on the radio. During these times, it is important to remember that it is all right for you to feel sad. Giving yourself permission to feel all of your emotions can help you heal as time progresses.
You may also find it helpful to speak to your friends and share stories about your loved one. Additionally, consider planting gardens or donating money to charity. This allows you to honor this important person while helping a favorite cause. Even though you may want to be done grieving after a certain amount of time, it is all right if it lingers. This demonstrates how important your loved one was.
