Vusumuzi Dube
To the learners, grief is a natural, powerful and human response to the loss of someone or something close to us.
It takes time to adjust and during this time you will need to care for yourself, while managing everyday life and school work.
There are many experiences in life that may cause you grief for example; the death of a family member, friend, or peer; a relationship break-up, or moving away from home, or failing a subject.
Grief can cause feelings of sadness, anger, guilt, and regret, amongst others. You may be confused, and your thoughts may be disorganised as you adjust to the change and loss. Studying at this time can be very difficult. The process of grieving is a very individual experience. There is no right or wrong way to grieve, and in fact there are different ways of grieving.
When you are grieving it can be helpful to talk about how you feel and what you think with someone you trust.
Talking may help you deal with the loss, help with feelings of isolation, and have the potential for others to show they care and support you.
If you do not have family or friends around to talk to, or don’t want to talk to them about your loss, talking to a counselor/teacher can be really useful.
What to do
Immediately after your loss, allow yourself to grieve. Be aware that grief will come and go.
Grief is a normal human response to loss. Try to study a little, often. Take care of your physical, social, and emotional wellbeing.
Ways to support a grieving person.
Be present. Listen with love and without judgement. Acknowledge a person’s pain. Resist trying to “fix” things. Talk about the loved one who has passed. Memories heals.
Be real.
Above all , have time for prayer and reading the word from the bible . The Holy Spirit is the greatest comforter .
Dr Manners Msongelwa/+263 771 019 392/ author/teacher/ youth coach
Online Reporter