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Healing Exercises and Trusted Resources for Grief Support

  • Writer: Kathryne Arnold
    Kathryne Arnold
  • Jun 24
  • 2 min read

🌿 Healing Exercises for Grief


1. Letter to Your Loved One

Write a letter expressing:

  • What you miss

  • What you wish you’d said

  • How you're coping.

    This helps process unresolved emotions and can be repeated as needed.


2. Grief Journaling Prompts

Set aside 10–15 minutes daily. Prompts to try:

  • “What I remember most about you is…”

  • “The hardest part of today was…”

  • “You taught me…”

  • “If I could talk to you now, I’d say…”


3. Memory Box or Photo Ritual

Create a small box with photos, notes, objects, and mementos. Revisit it on anniversaries or when you want to feel close. You might also keep a dedicated photo space at home as a touchstone.


4. Mindful Breathing or Body Scan

Grief can live in the body. Use a simple guided meditation to reduce anxiety and reconnect:

  • Exercise: Sit quietly, inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 6. Repeat for 3–5 minutes.

  • Try a body scan: bring awareness to each part of your body, gently releasing tension.


5. Gratitude Practice (Balanced with Grief)

Each day, note 1–2 things you're grateful for and 1 thing you're grieving. This helps hold both sorrow and life side-by-side.


6. Walking or Nature Meditation

Go for a slow, intentional walk. Let your thoughts come and go. Nature has a grounding, healing rhythm that often mirrors grief's seasons.


📚 Trusted Resources for Grief Support


📖 Books

  • "Healing After Loss" by Martha Whitmore Hickman – A daily meditation book for people in grief.

  • "The Year of Magical Thinking" by Joan Didion – A personal, poetic reflection on sudden loss.

  • "It's OK That You're Not OK" by Megan Devine – Validates grief and rejects the pressure to “move on.”

  • "Bearing the Unbearable" by Joanne Cacciatore – A compassionate guide by a grief counselor and Zen priest.


🎧 Podcasts

  • Terrible, Thanks for Asking – Honest conversations about pain, loss, and living through hard things.

  • Griefcast – Interviews with comedians and creatives about their personal experiences of grief.

  • The Mindfulness & Grief Podcast – Blends mindfulness with psychological insight.


🧠 Therapy & Support

  • GriefShare (griefshare.org) – Faith-based support groups worldwide.

  • The Dougy Center (dougy.org) – Grief support for children, teens, and families.

  • What's Your Grief (whatsyourgrief.com) – Articles, courses, and photo challenges for grief processing.

  • Therapist directories: Try Psychology Today (psychologytoday.com) to find a grief counselor near you.


🧘 Creative Expression

  • Art: Draw, paint, or create a collage of emotions.

  • Music: Make a playlist of songs that reflect your grief, or your loved one’s spirit.

  • Ritual: Light a candle each evening in memory, or release a balloon or paper boat with a note on special dates.


    Kathryne Arnold is a Licensed Mental Health Therapist at Wellness Counseling, and is an Integrative Mental Health Provider as well. Kathryne is also a Certified Fellow of Clinical Hypnotherapy. Please reach out to her directly at 727-537-9211 to schedule a free 15-minute consultation to discuss her services and how she can help you start your journey to happier and healthier life!

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