I would like to suggest praying for the loss who had been loved. It would be everyday in the morning as a routine for certain days by yourself or with your family. In my culture, namely South Korea, we tend to pray for 49 days after the death. We believe the person’s soul would stay with the family or friends for the first 49 days before going to heaven. We also remember the date of the loved one passed and have family gathering on the date each year to celebrate the life and remember the loved one. Family or friend gathering would help to remember the loved one and overcome sorrow of death.

I learned that a prayer and meditation can help to bring peace and harmony to my heart when it hurts. It may not work for everyone, but spirituality does bring balance and tranquility when accepted and taken in. I suggest to not suppress emotions but not allow emotional despair to disable you. I always thank God for helping me overcome unbearable emotions and not loose myself in deep hole of hurt. I take one day at a time and find positive in my grieving process. I always think that the person who has passed away would not want me to hurt and be in agony. So I suggest just to pray for that person and praise them for the great memories they left behind.

Recently, a close friend of mine joined a religious and spirituality challenge to help her through a hard time; she had a traumatic experience and now has schizophrenia. She decided to join a meditation group. Although my friend has attended multiple meetings, she is still far from truly accepting the reality as it is. However, she has gained some steps to help her manage her constant episodes. As a vital part of her journey, I have had multiple sensitive and appropriate suggestions on promoting her spirituality levels to help her reach her goals. One excellent option is selecting a calming and tranquil song like Hillsongs 'Where feet may fail'. Such soothing rhythms will help her establish a peaceful surrounding environment and stay resilient on her spiritual journey.

Celebration of life

Something I have found helpful is to have a special day (whether it is the persons birth or death day) to do something special each year. You can make your persons favorite food, go to their favorite place, gather with friends and family who share this loss. Spend the day sharing memories and the joy that this person brought to your life.

I will continue to use myself as an example. My Grandma passed away around Thanksgiving 2020. To promote my levels of spirituality, I like to think of her always being around. I take comfort in the fact that even though her body has died, her spirit, her essence, her soul, her…..whatever your religion calls it….she is with me, guiding me, watching me. When I don’t feel like she is around because there are other family members she must tend to, I look at photos, listen to her favorite songs, wrap myself in a quilt that I made for her (I took back after she passed). Sometimes my mom and I share our favorite stories of her.

If I were to suggest promoting spirituality to someone else going thru some kind of loss, I would start with my own experiences and what has helped me through the hardest times.

When I think about religion and spirituality, I see my own experience and day-to-day challenges at work and in my own life in general. I firmly believe that religion and spirituality are the absolute driving force and help me control my own emotions, egos and maintain my ethics and morals in my life. I participate in weekly congregation in my church, and I also help my children exercise their spirituality without being authoritarian. As a nurse, spiritual beliefs help as a tool towards my burnout and mitigation related conditions at work. Nurses' burnout is an increasingly prevalent problem that has personal as well as patient safety implications. Burnouts are associated with turnover in direct care nurses. The COVID episode is the worst burnout that requires spirituality and strong faith to overcome those challenges. According to (Harris S. 2021), promoting mental well-being in the nursing workforce is both clinically and financially desirable, as nursing turnover is detrimental to patient care outcomes and the bottom line. An investment into the spiritual health of the nursing workforce-to reconnects nurses with meaning and purpose-may a part of valuable retention.

Reference:

Harris, S., & Tao, H. (2021). The Impact of US Nurses' Personal Religious and Spiritual Beliefs on Their Mental Well-Being and Burnout: A Path Analysis. Journal of Religion and Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-021-01203-y

For someone in going through grief and loss, i would recommend prayer if they affiliate with religious groups. but also meditation really is help to travel through the emotions along with bringing a sense of peace over the body. and with both of these i would also go back to the nursing roots and use our practices of offering self, and just listen. Sometimes having an ear to listen to you without judgment helps lets you pour out the pain and sadness.