The Companion Guide: “How to Grieve Like a Champ”
“How to Grieve Like a Champ” is a book published by Lianna Champ, and an essential companion guide to loss.
(There’s a link below, to buy the full book on Amazon)
A brief extract…
At some point in your life, unless you die early, a significant loss will occur, and everything you know and love will come crashing down around you. An invisible mortar bomb has landed right in he middle of your life as you know it. At that moment everything changes permanently and there will be nothing you can do but grieve.
Later you will realise that you have changed permanently too and you will have to learn to know yourself again. It is like putting on a coat that you have always loved and sensing that it just doesn’t feel right any more. It’s uncomfortable and you have to take it off but you don’t know why. It looks the same, but…
Everyone grieves at their own pace, and in their own way. There is no one-size-fits-all way to grieve, no certain order and certainly no timeline.
In taking the steps to grieve positively, the frequency and intensity of grief should ease – even if it is slowly. You can cope in positive ways. If, however, years after the loss, you still struggle when you hear the name of the person who has died, or you are sleeping a lot through the day, or you aren’t participating in your normal everyday activities, or you are doing things to numb your motions or distract yourself from your grief, these may be warning signs that you are not coping well and need to take proactive steps to begin healing. This might include sharing your feelings with someone you trust or enlisting the help of a counsellor or a local bereavement group.
Grief doesn’t have an expiry date, nor does it ever fully go away. It is an emotional handicap you live with every day, but it doesn’t mean you can’t lead a happy and productive life again. Even without the physical presence of your loved one, the love you shared with them doesn’t have an expiry date either. Recovery, however, is a choice, and takes work. Grieving in a healthy manner, taking steps to move forward, and rebuilding your life into a new normal, doesn’t mean you won’t have those tough days or tough moments, so take time and learn to be patient and kind with yourself.
The full book is available on Amazon from £3.99 :