What Helps When You are Grieving?

April 19, 2024

Acceptance

Accept your feelings, acknowledge them and try to understand them if you can. Accept that your feelings belong to you. Others may have suffered a similar loss and felt differently. Accept that a feeling is a feeling, it is what it is. It can never be wrong to feel the way you feel.

Practice Selfcare

Give yourself a break. Avoid taking on new responsibilities when possible. Lighten your load if you are able. Make time for things you enjoy. Ask for help with tasks you are dreading or dislike doing. Make time for activities that nurture you. Embrace nature, look up at night and see the stars. Look down during the day and see all the little pollinating critters. Let the wonder of our world comfort you.

See your friends and family. Don’t go it alone. Spend time in the company of others. Continue your activities or return to those you have not been able to participate in for a while. 

Eat well. If you don’t feel like cooking healthy food visit the take-out section of your local market. Grieving is hard work your body needs to be in good shape. Eat your fruits and veggies. Go light on the sugar and alcohol.

Move. Take a walk. Sign up for an exercise class, water aerobics, or yoga. Regular exercise is a good antidepressant.

Sleep well. Put yourself on a schedule. Build in time to decompress before bed. Make a to do list for your day tomorrow, then let go. Read a book or listen to a meditation, whatever it takes to get you to a calm relaxed frame of mind so you can settle in for a good night’s sleep. 

Be Open to Help

Grieving is hard work. It can feel like swimming in the surf. When a rogue wave washes over you, if you are not to drown, you need to engage and work at keeping your head above water. Grieving is also an active endeavor. A person who is mourning will need to work their way though the process. It’s a journey. Sometimes a helping hand from a counselor, pastor, or grief support group is exactly what is needed. It’s best not to wait until you are under water to ask for someone to throw you a life preserver. Accepting help sooner rather than later is a good idea.

Bissler & Sons Funeral Home and Crematory has served families in Kent, Ohio, and all of Portage County since 1913. The company transitioned ownership in 2018 when Rick Bissler retired and arranged to merge his family’s funeral home with the Billow family’s funeral homes, who carry on the tradition of high quality funeral, burial, memorial and cremation services. Their privately owned and operated crematory ensures that loved ones never leave their professional care. Visit bisslerandsons.com to learn more.

What’s the Difference Between Entombment and Interment

February 4, 2025
There’s a lot to consider when looking for either your or your loved one’s final resting place, to the point that it can be easy to get overwhelmed. The decision only becomes more complicated when you’re met with unfamiliar vernacular. One choice you may have to make is between entombment or interment. But what exactly do those terms mean? And what’s the difference between interment and entombment?

What Are Burial Vaults and Grave Liners and Why Do I Have to Buy Them?

February 4, 2025
When saying goodbye to someone you love, you have a multitude of decisions to make. Some you might be prepared for, while other questions are new to you. One topic that many people are unfamiliar with is the concept of burial vaults and grave liners, which you may have to have in your loved one’s final resting place.

Food and Funerals: The Comfort of Sharing a Meal

February 4, 2025
Food not only nourishes the body but also comforts the soul, making it a significant part of funeral traditions. Offering food signifies care and supports the healing journey during such tough times.

Understanding Funeral Costs: A Guide to Planning with Care

January 8, 2025
When the time comes to think about funeral arrangements, one of the first questions many of us have is, "How much will it cost?" It’s natural to look for a straightforward answer during such an emotionally charged time. However, much like finding the perfect car, the cost of a funeral varies widely depending on personal choices and specific needs.

What Is the Purpose of Embalming?

January 8, 2025
Embalming can be a controversial topic. Some people are opposed to it, whether due to personal or religious reasons, but for others, embalming is an important part of starting their grief journey and getting a chance to say goodbye to the person they love.

Dressing for a Funeral: Comfort, Respect, and What to Wear

January 8, 2025
Attending a funeral is one of those things that makes everyone pause, not just because of the emotional weight, but also the big question: "What do I wear?" Let’s discuss.

Embracing Family in Funeral Planning

January 8, 2025
When it comes time to say goodbye to a loved one, the focus of the funeral often naturally falls on the family. It's the people who loved and knew the deceased best—spouses, children, grandchildren, friends, and even coworkers—who come together to remember and honor their life.

Serving a Diverse Community

December 3, 2024
Funerals are very personal ceremonies. They’re often also religious and cultural occasions, filled with rites and traditions that fit the unique heritage of the person being honored. As the diversity in the United States has continued to increase over the decades, funeral homes have learned to create meaningful services that fit the needs of each family that comes to them in their time of need. When planning a service for your loved one, there are several ways a funeral home will work with you to incorporate your loved one’s unique background.

When Should I Start Thinking About Planning My Own Funeral?

December 3, 2024
There’s no right age to begin planning. Whether you’re 30 or 60, making arrangements for your funeral will help out those you’ll leave behind, giving them a blueprint for your final wishes. They’ll be able to grieve with fewer decisions to make and fewer questions filling their minds. Only you can decide if you’re ready to preplan, but if you do decide to do so, know that you’re giving a wonderful gift to the people you love.

What is a Retort? Is it the Same as a Crematory?

December 3, 2024
The world of funeral homes can be filled with unfamiliar terminology, and keeping track of it all gets confusing. Talking about cremation is no exception. So, what does it mean when someone says that they’re going to a crematory? What about a retort? Are those the same thing? Let’s break down the difference between these locations that are crucial to the cremation process.