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Coping With Grief: 5 Tips to Heal After Losing a Pet

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When you lose a pet, you might feel like you suddenly have a hole in your life. To many people, pets are family members, and after saying goodbye to your four-legged friend, you need space to grieve. Today, MyPetCerts shares some tips to help you process your grief and keep your pet’s memory alive.

Take Time to Grieve

First, it’s important to simply allow yourself to grieve. You might feel like people don’t understand your grief, or that they don’t take it seriously because you’re missing an animal rather than a person. But the grief you feel over your pet’s loss is real and worth honoring. You may even want to speak to a therapist if you’re struggling to find a way to move forward.

Remember Your Pet

Keeping your pet’s memory alive can bring you some relief. There are plenty of ways to memorialize your pet and remind yourself of what they meant to you. One of the most common ways people memorialize their beloved lost animal is an urn. The Spruce Pets recommends having a small memorial service with your loved ones, making a donation to an animal welfare organization, or commissioning a piece of custom art depicting your pet.

Practice Self-Care

Right now, you need to give yourself time to unwind. Self-care is always important, but it’s never more crucial than when you’re dealing with grief. Being kind to yourself can help lift your mood on the hardest days, and rewarding yourself with some extra pampering can be a welcome relief during this tough time.

How can you incorporate more opportunities for self-care and relaxation into your daily routine? Canadian Living recommends taking a bubble bath, splurging on something you’ve wanted to buy for a while, planning a home spa day, and spending time outdoors.

You might also want to find a source of healthy distraction with a new hobby. Reading novels, watching engaging films, playing a sport, or cooking new recipes can help you shift your focus without suppressing your emotions.

Moving Somewhere New

What if you still see reminders of your pet in every room of your home? Perhaps you’re finding it hard to even spend time in your house after losing your pet because you feel their memory so strongly in this space. If you desperately need a change of pace after your pet’s passing, it may be time to embrace the start of a new chapter and move to a different city.

To prepare for your move, you’ll need to research potential cities you’d enjoy, visit the area to find a rental or put down an offer on a house, and start packing up your belongings. Check out a few moving companies online to see their reviews, and then reach out to promising companies to discuss your needs and obtain price estimates. If the prices seem too high, try looking for companies that are offering deals or credits.

Welcoming a New Pet

Maybe you miss having an animal companion around, and after taking some time to grieve and honor your pet’s life, you’re ready to adopt a new pet. Once you’ve been approved for adoption by a local shelter or rescue organization, you’ll want to purchase some new toys and other pet care items, like a bed, harness, and food and water bowls. To make smart purchases, you can browse customer reviews, and click here to look up veterinarian reviews so that you can find expert-approved items.

Coping with the grief that comes with losing a pet is never easy. However, it’s a healthy and essential part of living, and doing so is the best way to honor all the unconditional love we receive from our pets.

MyPetCerts is your best source for all things related to Emotional Support Animals (ESA), which is a companion animal that a licensed medical health professional has determined will provide therapeutic benefit to you if you suffer from a mental or emotional disability. Call 650-560-4372 to learn more.

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