Many of us have goals and resolutions for the coming year. But for those grieving the loss of a loved one, the prospect of setting and sticking to goals can be overwhelming. It is important to acknowledge and honor your feelings as you go through this difficult time. However, it can also help to find ways to move forward and create a sense of purpose in your life. In this article, Ok Healthy Living offers tips for setting achievable health goals, even while you’re still grieving.
Pursue a long-standing passion
Have you always wanted to work in a different career? This is your cue to jump in and make that career change. Pursuing a career that more closely aligns with your goals and values will add meaning and purpose to your life. Start taking steps, however small, to work toward your dream career.
Crafting a stellar resume is essential to securing the job you want. To ensure a successful outcome, focus on making great time efficiencies by organizing your relevant skills and experience clearly and concisely. Strategize how to showcase the accomplishments that are most relevant to the position at hand and capture the interest of a hiring manager. You can use a resume builder to design a memorable resume. Choose a template and simply add your own copy, fonts, photos, and colors.
Focus on self care
While many people set life goals that are strict and require a great deal of self-discipline, it’s best to stick to soft self-care goals during grief. Set goals that help you face today instead of focusing on long-term rewards. Here are some healthy self-care goals from JoinCake.com that will boost your physical and mental health right away:
- Spend time outdoors as often as possible.
- Move your body for at least 30 minutes every day, even if it’s just for a walk.
- Fill yourself with energy with nutritious food.
- Pick a relaxing hobby.
- Get in touch with friends and family.
It’s also important to get enough sleep while grieving, so establish a relaxing nighttime routine to improve the quality of your sleep. Updating your bedding to be more comfortable and conducive to healthy sleep is one way to accomplish this. For example, you can add fancy new pillowcases to match your comforter and sheets. You can find unique pillowcase patterns created by independent artists from all over the world. Go online to find your own pillowcase.
surround yourself with support
Surrounding yourself with friends and family can make it easier to meet your goals when you’re going through a tough time. Supportive family members will offer encouragement and accountability, helping you stay on track. At the same time, your loved ones can provide practical support, such as help with homework or errands or suggestions for resources to help you achieve your goals.
Find ways to honor your loved one like starting a nonprofit organization
It can be challenging to focus on your own needs when grieving the loss of a loved one. Honoring your loved one is a great way to strike a balance between self-care and selflessness in grief. For example, make it a point to do or try something your loved one has enjoyed, such as joining a book club if they love to read. Here are some other ideas from Better Places Forests:
- Please volunteer or give back in some way that is meaningful to your loved one.
- Sign up for a class to learn more about a topic that interested your loved one.
- Share your loved one’s memory with others by writing about your experiences with them.
- Consider ending projects started by your loved one.
- Set goals that encourage you to live your life to the fullest.
Starting a non-profit organization to honor a deceased loved one can be a daunting undertaking, but if done right, it can not only help with the healing process, but also offer massive time efficiencies. A properly planned and managed nonprofit organization can embody your fond memories of your lost loved one while furthering their legacy in the world through meaningful impact. Forming a nonprofit corporation will improve your eligibility for grants and funding.
be kind to yourself
When it comes to goals, both short term and long term, we can be very hard on ourselves. But self-care and self-compassion are key to achieving your goals, especially when you’re grieving. Despite common belief, self-pity can be more motivating than self-discipline. Self-compassion can help you stay on track toward your goals while decreasing the performance anxiety, procrastination, and fear of failure that hold so many of us back.
Setting goals in life can be a helpful way to set goals and focus on self-improvement, even in the face of loss. Going back to school to make a career change can be a great way to do it, allowing you to invest in your future and pursue a new path that better aligns with your goals and interests. Just remember to be kind to yourself and take your goals one step at a time.