When The Going Gets Tough...

...it helps to know how you can manage your distress. Here are tips on how to handle three common stressful scenarios.

- Chia Sihan

#1 When you’re dealing with the loss of a loved one

Nothing can really prepare you for this, so it’s important that you give yourself time to grieve and fully process your emotions.

The grieving process differs from person to person. Your grief may kick in immediately or it may only happen after the funeral, when you have some quiet time to yourself. You may also have feelings of guilt mixed with relief, especially if your loved one suffered through a painful illness.

All these scenarios are normal, and it’s good to acknowledge the intense emotions, knowing that they’ll fade with time, no matter how painful it feels at that point.

According to the Institute of Mental Health, although the sense of loss may still remain, most of us recover from a major bereavement within one or two years. However, Cassandra Chiu, a counsellor at The Safe Harbour Counselling Centre, points out that it’s important not to slip into isolation and be stuck on the “what ifs”.