Grief does not follow a neat timeline. Losing someone can change how a person thinks, sleeps, eats, works and relates to the world around them. For some people, the intensity eases with time; for others, certain memories, dates, songs or places can bring difficult emotions back unexpectedly.

There is also no single “right” way to grieve.

The American Psychological Association notes that most people can recover from loss over time, particularly when they have social support and maintain healthy habits. At the same time, grief can involve sadness, anxiety, disbelief, physical discomfort and repetitive thoughts about the past or fear about the future.

While everyone experiences bereavement differently, there are several practices that can help people make space for their emotions while continuing with everyday life.

1. Give yourself permission to cry

There is often pressure to appear strong after a loss, particularly around other people. But suppressing emotions is not the same as processing them.

Crying is a natural emotional response, and psychological research has increasingly examined what happens when people cry in supportive environments. The American Psychological Association notes that crying can provide an opportunity to explore and process emotions rather than simply pushing them aside.

That does not mean crying is something that everyone needs to do, or that tears automatically make grief easier. People express grief differently.

The important part is allowing emotions to exist without judging yourself for having them.

If sadness comes while doing the dishes, driving home or looking through photographs, there is no need to immediately apologise for it or hide it. Sometimes acknowledging the emotion can be healthier than constantly trying to outrun it.

2. Find something that gives your mind somewhere else to go

Grief can consume a significant amount of mental space. Memories and questions can replay repeatedly, making it difficult to focus on anything else.

Finding a hobby or activity can provide a temporary change of focus.

It does not need to be something ambitious. Gardening, painting, reading, cooking, photography, music or learning something new can give a grieving person a few moments in which their attention is directed towards something other than their loss.

The purpose is not to forget the person who died.

Instead, having something enjoyable or meaningful to return to can help create small pockets of normality during a difficult period.

For some people, being outdoors can be particularly helpful. Research examining physical activity following bereavement found that activities such as walking, running and yoga were associated with benefits including distraction, emotional expression, a sense of freedom and social connection.

3. Create intentional space for grief

Trying to suppress grief throughout the day can sometimes leave people feeling overwhelmed when they finally have a quiet moment.

One approach is to intentionally create time to acknowledge the loss.

This could mean looking through photographs, writing in a journal, listening to music associated with the person, praying, talking to someone trusted or simply sitting quietly with the memories.

There is no required amount of time.

The idea is not to put grief on a strict schedule or suggest that emotions can be switched off when a timer rings. Rather, intentionally making space for grief can help people recognise that their feelings deserve attention.

For someone whose grief is interfering significantly with daily functioning, professional support can also be appropriate. The APA notes that evidence-based grief interventions exist and can be tailored according to a person’s circumstances and needs.

4. Move your body, even gently

Grief can affect the body as well as the mind. Changes in sleep, appetite, energy and daily routines are common after bereavement.

That is one reason gentle physical activity can be useful.

It does not have to mean returning to an intense exercise routine or setting fitness goals. A short walk, stretching, dancing, gardening or simply spending some time outdoors can be enough.

A systematic review of 25 studies examining physical activity and bereavement found some evidence that movement may support psychological wellbeing after a loss. Activities including walking, running and yoga were associated with emotional expression, distraction, social support and reductions in some mental-health-related grief outcomes. The researchers also stressed that more high-quality research is needed.

The key is to think about movement as a way of caring for the body, rather than another demand placed on someone who is already exhausted.

5. Find ways to maintain a connection with the person you lost

Grieving does not necessarily mean completely letting go of the person who died.

People often continue their relationship with someone they have lost through memories, traditions, photographs, stories, objects, music or conversations about them.

Psychologist Robert Neimeyer has argued that grief can involve developing a constructive continuing bond with someone who has died, rather than treating healing as simply forgetting or saying goodbye. Such bonds can include remembering shared experiences and imagining how the person might respond to events in your life.

For one person, that might mean talking about a loved one while cooking. For another, it could mean celebrating their birthday, visiting a meaningful place, keeping a photograph nearby or telling stories about them to younger family members.

These acts can help preserve the person’s place in the family story.

Ultimately, grief is not something that can be completed like a task on a checklist.

Some people will have days when they feel relatively normal, followed by a sudden wave of sadness. Others may experience grief in quieter ways. There can be laughter alongside sadness, and moments of happiness do not mean someone has stopped missing the person they lost.

The goal is not necessarily to stop grieving.

It is to gradually learn how to live alongside the loss.

Giving yourself permission to feel, finding meaningful activities, creating space for difficult emotions, caring for your body and maintaining healthy connections to memories can all become part of that process.

And when grief becomes overwhelming or begins making everyday life difficult for a prolonged period, reaching out to a mental-health professional is not a failure. It is another way of getting support while navigating one of life’s most difficult experiences.

.Related story: Feeling Overwhelmed? Simple Ways To Manage Stress Before It Takes Over