SUMTER, S.C. — While Mother’s Day can be a time for celebration, for some it’s a hard reminder of the people they've lost.
This can lead to feelings of anxiety, sadness, distress, or even anger.
Felicia Heyward, a Sumter-based mental health nurse practitioner, says it's important to remember that grieving is part of the healing process and there are ways to cope.
RELATED: ‘You’re not alone,’ Nurses encourage others coping with pandemic-related anxiety to ask for help
“Some of the things that we can do to try and help get through those difficult times is to talk about the death of your loved one. You know, talk about them and celebrate their life,” Heyward said, “…accepting your feelings and understanding that everyone grieves differently… Other things that can be done is reaching out to others that are also dealing with loss.”
Creating memories or rituals can also help.
“Doing a garden in remembrance of that person that you loved and lost,” she said.
While there’s no time frame or method to grieving that fits everyone, Heyward said counseling can also be a positive step and knowing you're not alone.
“Just remembering my good old saying that it’s okay to not be okay and that there’s help out there.”
For more tips to cope with grief visit CDC.gov.