Grief is one of the most painful emotions. It can be quite difficult to know what a grieving person wants you to say to him, especially if you haven’t experienced grief in your life.
Thus, below is a list of 10 phrases you can say to a person who has lost someone dear to him.
- I cannot possibly know the pain you’re experiencing. Even if you have gone through a similar situation, you can’t know what a person is feeling because we process grief differently.
- Crying is perfectly normal and this is a safe place to do it. Grieving people often feel embarrassed to cry in front of others. Thus, you should let them know that you feel ok with them releasing their negative emotions and that you won’t judge them.
- Crying is perfectly healthy and this is a safe place to do it. When we cry, we release negative emotions. We already know how unhealthy it is to build those negative emotions inside, thus, you should let a grieving person know that crying is what they should do if they feel like it.
- You don’t have to talk about your emotions. Talking about feelings can be quite difficult, especially when you are grieving. Therefore, you should let a person know that you don’t expect him to open up to you about his loss. If they want to talk about their emotions, let them know that you feel fine with it, but if they don’t, there should be no pressure coming from your part.
- I would love to see you again tomorrow, is after 10am going to be ok? Grieving people tend to isolate themselves from all social interactions. In order for it not to happen, you should let a grieving person know that you want to stay in touch with them, however, you shouldn’t force them to do it if they really don’t feel like socializing.
- Remind them of a happy shared experience. Although you can’t make the grief go away, you can make a grieving process less painful by reminding a grieving person some of your funny memories you share together. It can put a smile on their faces and lighten the mood.
- What did you like to do in art class when you were in school? Although it may sound surprising, but arts have been proven to be one of the best ways to deal with grief. Art therapy can also reduce depression, anxiety, worry and tiredness.
- Did I tell you about ___? You may feel uncomfortable around a grieving person because you may not be sure what to say to him. You should just act casually and have a random conversation with them. In this way, you show a grieving person that he is still involved in your social circle.
- Because this cannot be easy for you, I would like to help in this (specific) way. If a person is close to you, you should know what his interests are. Bring over his favorite movies and watch them together. Or prepare dinner for his whole family.
- I would love to invite you to come to ___ next week. You should include grieving people in your social outings, as you did before their loss. Excluding them just because you will feel awkward around them is neither fair nor respectful towards them.