Helpful Ways to Deal with Grief While Low on Cash

This same school of thought is fixated on another valuable resource: time. It seems to be true to form that financial resources seem to be at their lowest of lows at a highly vulnerable time. The latter explains grief and grieving 101. Whether you end up taking some time off work in order to process your grief or not; money seems to be something that you need more and more of in order to pass through the proverbial eye of the needle, so to speak. Same with outgoings like legal and/or medical costs pertaining to such losses in life.

You (yes you, dear reader) are an awesome human being, and you have a brilliant, creative mind. Resilience, grit and determination is what gets us human beings through the toughest of times. As promised, here is my follow up article on grief. My most recent article on this topic was all about understanding that grief can come through any loss, where anger and sadness is not necessarily due to mental health challenges as a by-product of such; although it could (sometimes) be.

Simply put: you are grieving, and you are entitled to give yourself the time to do so.

This article is giving you some creative strategies on coping with grief with cashflow and other financial challenges going on simultaneously.

With any form of loss, even if money is coming in, more of it seems to be going out in order to solve such a loss. Life is just more expensive while you are grieving over a loss or two. Perhaps more money is going towards higher learning, therapy, medical costs, and funeral and burial costs, in order to name a few.

The good news is that you need minimal (if any) extra cash in order to follow the following suggestions and coping strategies that yours truly is about to share with you. You're welcome.

No matter your creative instincts, we can all keep a journal of our moods, and/or for the things that we are grateful for in our lives. There is no need to buy anything fancy, yet a simple notebook and pen shall suffice. Write down your thoughts, feelings, and observations as you go through the grieving process. You can turn this into a mini-project, and all it takes is 10 minutes a day tops. You are your own best friend, and if you want to be more aware of your thoughts, feelings, and triggers; this is a cost effective way in order to do so. Inspiration for this idea is gained from The Artists Way morning pages. Even if you are coping really well; just get those intrusive and pleasant thoughts out.

If journalling is not your jam, and you have props like play-doh and/or musical instruments at home (for example); then start playing some music, or make something sticky. You might end up writing a nice song or two that can help other people. If you prefer the use of vibrant colours (colour therapy, in other words) then why not try and/or re-discover art therapy. You do not need the most exotic paints in the world. Hot dollar/two dollar shops (discount stores) these days sell canvas boards, paints and paint brushes. Or borrow some from a loved one. I am sure that they would be happy to oblige. Drawing (if that is your jam) is more therapeutic than expected. All you need is a piece of paper, a HB or 2B pencil, and an eraser to get started at such. Writing to help others (perfect example here, I must say) works too. You could make a bit of extra money if you choose to commercialise such art and creativity.

Attending a meditation retreat (like Vipassana) is an intense personal development experience, in and of itself. Not everyone wants to sit cross legged on the floor, or be silent for 10-days straight, despite this being a cathartic and non-regrettable life experience. In order to be still and quiet, you only need to start with five minutes of sitting upright in a chair, and remain still and mindful of your breathing. It can feel like a matter of trying a few different meditation techniques on for size, and then one of them will land with you.

If staying still for five minutes either sounds exhausting or unappealing, then spending time in nature is another fantastic way to be quiet, and connect with mother earth. The more days off you have, the sooner you heal. I have personally found that my finances are in better shape when I work less. The irony, I know. The earth wants to support you. Ground into it. Walk barefoot on the grass, or take in the negative ions in the sand on the beach. If the weather in your hometown does not allow such, then borrow or buy (only if you can afford to) an earthing mat. If not, just enjoy some long, slow and fruitful walks in and around nature. Whatever resonates. I give you permission to do so. Hug a tree if you want to. Trees provide some healthy exchanges of oxygen, which does not make sense to the rational forebrain.

Movement is everything to your limbic brain. If you can afford a new, or you can maintain your existing gym membership, then please, lap it up. Try out some new facilities at your health club of choice. Some offer swimming, while others can go as far as offering rock climbing, in addition to the standard weights and cardio equipment, and group fitness classes. If you like exercising in groups, then try out different classes at different time slots if possible.

If us humans really did not care for one another, then accessing free or low cost therapy services would be difficult. If you cannot access talk therapy through your health insurance (which could include mental health plans - that are kept confidential between you, your therapist, your health insurance provider, and your doctor); there are other resources and apps available to help. Sources such as Smiling Mind, griefshare.org, and compassionatefriends.org are suggestive starting points. Only go with a provider that resonates with you, if you decide to go down this path. I get that grieving is an exhausting process. Just do your research in small bits of time, for when you know when you are the most energetic.

If therapy is not what is resonating with you, then lean in on other resources such as food banks temporarily. There is no shame. These services are designed to support us. Remember that tough times do not last, but tough people do last. If applying for a personal loan is not going to wreak havoc on your confidence, and hence your credit score; just go ahead and ask for it - apply for it. Crowdfund on sites like GoFundMe.

Speaking of financial assistance, it is ok to call your bank for financial hardship assistance with any existing debts for a possible pause/repayment holiday on your loan/s when dealing with a major loss, and/or phone your utility provider and inform them with what is going on, in order to preserve the relationship, and to inform them of your short-term cashflow challenge resulting from a recent loss, or (unfortunately) a series of losses. These providers are willing to help you before things get into serious dire straits financially. The same could be true with landlords. If you can temporarily move in with parents or friends - this is also a helpful cash-based solution to help you while you are processing your grief.

Free events, classes and workshops on sites like Eventbrite, and joining a meet up group in an area of interest will also help you process and get through your grief when in a tighter money situation. If you make friends in such environments, then even better.

Maybe volunteering could be helpful. Such helps people to take their minds off their pressing challenges, while serving others. Giving (whether through money, time, and skills) is so uplifting, and it helps us feel more and more connected to others, and to the world at large. If not, perhaps getting a new or an extra job might be preferable to you. Or starting a new business or side hustle, even though the latter options are time and energy consuming in times of heavy vulnerabilities more-so.

Mindfulness is the aim. Enjoy every chew of the food that you eat, and every single sip of your favourite beverage, for example. If you normally enjoy a matcha latte, then why not switch it up at your favourite cafe, or a new cafe, and try out an iced matcha with strawberries. The more present you are with what is going on in your life, and with the simple things like your breathing, and how your body is feeling; your life begins to change almost in an instant.

Try new foods. Explore. Buying more groceries (preferably the healthy kind) on special helps. Be an aquaphile. Be like Masaru Emoto in that regard. Drink plenty of water. Loving and blessing your water transforms the quality of such. This can definitely transmute your pain while grieving, and while going through the five steps of grieving (once again denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance).

Embrace your pain, and your grief. That will get you to acceptance sooner rather than later, without shortcutting the full healing process. Sleeping well (in addition to eating well, and in moving your body, things you already know) is a godsend. It does not mean that you spend the entire day in bed. Get up and do something. This is why this article has brewed out of a simple yet profound idea for your benefit.

Seeming as though you have read this far is a true testament to your grit, motivation and inner strength to get through the other side. If no one else believes in you, then I certainly do.

There are also many affordable rituals to try out. Anything from scrapbooking, to creating a photo album of a loved one who has passed on. With the recent passing of my last biological family member, I took my graphic design skills to good use, and designed four pages of art, incorporating digital photos of his recent last weeks of happiness, combined with happy graphics of all of the things he enjoyed in his life. This graphic art was also on display for show and tell at his funeral; and most of all, it was a helpful exercise for my personal healing. Burying and buying crystals can also fall into this category. Light a candle if you prefer.

If you consider yourself a jet-setter, and depending on the magnitude of your loss (for example, if you are about to go under the surgeons knife, this strategy/coping mechanism would be inappropriate); going on an interstate (or even an overseas) trip might work, if you have sufficient frequent flyer/airline miles saved up. Or go on an affordable road trip instead.

You do not need to be a raving fan or advocate of self care and personal development; yet this is the time to really look after yourself. Do what you need for you. If you need more warm baths, then go ahead and do that. If you need to read more uplifting books, then go ahead and do that, and take advantage of libraries for the latter, in order to save some much needed money. Listen to uplifting podcasts on sites/apps like YouTube or Spotify. Engage in some further study, and learn a new skill, provided that such will not break the bank. Research new ways to invest or make some extra money for more passive and/or active income. For example, yours truly is looking at diverting a small portion of her savings into first mortgages that pay much higher rates of interest. I also own shares, and it turns out that you can rent some of those shares (also known as writing covered calls) for example.

Furthermore, it is wise and highly recommended to use this time to clean up your affairs, from your inbox to your home, as mess can easily pile up in difficult times of mourning and grief. This could be the time to sell some unwanted goods on sites like eBay, and make a bit of extra cash, while giving yourself a mental and emotional uplift by letting go of items that no longer bring you joy in your personal space. Trust me, you should feel lighter when less stuff around your home owns you. If you can afford a cleaner, then why not take advantage and get a trusted one referred from your neighbours and/or loved ones.

I wish you nothing but the best during the grieving process. As sharing is caring, if you have any other tried and true affordable ways of dealing with grief while low on cash, then feel free to comment below. Otherwise dear reader, I really appreciate you, and thank you so much for your support of my freelance writing side hustle work.