7 Healthy Ways Christians Can Process Their Grief

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The loss of loved ones, mentors, or friends can be one of the most painful losses a person experiences. Having our sense of normalcy dramatically changed due to loss can also leave us feeling lonely, hopeless, helpless, terrified about the future, and a host of other negative emotions. Besides the loss of relationships, people may also grieve the loss of a home due to some disaster, community, job or career, financial stability, a dream or goal, health, youth, or fertility, according to the Cleveland Clinic. 

Grief isn’t necessarily experienced immediately. It can be experienced in advance when a person knows a loss is coming. It can also be delayed because of needing to deal with practical matters, such as the funeral or will, or focusing on children to make sure that they are finding productive ways to process it. Grief can be a collective, group experience, such as when a leader of a ministry, church, or other organization passes away, and there are also other types of grief.

It’s important to take the time to feel and process grief. If people don’t allow themselves to do this, it can show up as an illness or an unhealthy behavior, such as binge drinking, binge gambling, or self-harm, such as cutting or other harmful behaviors. Below are a few healthy ways to process grief as you walk through your grief journey.

1. Make Time to Exercise

 “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” - 1 Timothy 4:8

This doesn’t have to be anything complicated. It can be as simple as a walk around the block where you live. Other possibilities include hiking, biking, kayaking, or swimming. Studies have shown that spending time outdoors lowers a person’s stress, boosts their mood, and improves their attention span, according to the American Psychological Association.

For those who really prefer to be indoors, Zumba classes or investing in a gym membership and working out can be great options. The idea is to release stress and move around enough that you get to experience an endorphin release. Endorphins are neurotransmitters in your brain that naturally enhance your mood and help you feel good, according to Mayo Clinic. The type of exercise doesn’t matter. So you can choose something you enjoy, which will help you stick with it.

2. Prioritize Socializing

^"Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." - Hebrews 10:24-25

Spending too much time alone is unhealthy and can lead to feeling severely depressed. There may be occasions when you have to push yourself, but spending time with friends and loved ones and doing fun activities together can bring relief from the intense, negative emotions for a while. Keeping busy all the time isn’t the goal here. If you’re always just keeping busy, there’s never time to process. This is about maybe a change of scenery and being with other people whose company you enjoy.  

3. Find a Support Group or Counselor

"Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts."  - Colossians 3:16

A support group or a counselor can help with processing emotions and normalizing what you’re feeling. There’s something comforting in knowing that feeling confused, angry, hurt, depressed, frightened, and other negative emotions, sometimes even all at the same time, is part of the grief process. This can also be a great opportunity to share memories of your loved one with others who are a bit more in tune with listening and empathizing than those who haven’t experienced the same sort of loss. One really good grief support group that’s Biblically based and national is GriefShare.org. 

4. Take Time to Get in the Word

"Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path." - Psalm 119:105

It might be a challenge, but taking time to get in the Word, whether reading, listening to it on a mobile device, or watching a podcast, can help with feeling comforted and experiencing some peace. Psalms can be a great place to go for some comfort, as well as the Gospels. You may find that there are certain stories you identify with, too. For example, a young widow might really identify with Ruth’s story, while an older widow might really identify with Anna in Luke 2:36-38 and the sense of purpose she had in interceding for the coming of the Messiah.

Watching episodes of The Chosen might bring a sense of comfort and peace for those who are grieving. It’s now possible to stream entire seasons on demand. Click here to check it out. 

As for the story of Ruth, that can actually be viewed here.

5. Journal Your Thoughts and Feelings

"Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

Journaling is an excellent way to process grief. It allows you to get in touch with grief and other emotions, release negative emotions, and freely reminisce about your loved one. Christians might also choose to journal prayers, answers to prayers, and scriptures from time they’ve spent in the Word that have really helped them to find strength and get fresh revelation and perspective.

6. Watch or Read Humorous Material

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength." - Proverbs 17:22

Proverbs 17:22 says, “A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.” Clean humor, whether it’s a movie, sitcom, book, TikTok videos, or some other platform with humorous material, can be something that allows you to take a break from your grief for a while. Not only does a good belly laugh release endorphins in your brain, but laughing with loved ones and friends also helps promote bonding, according to Medical News Today.

7. Take Time to Be Creative

" For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." - Ephesians 2:10

Taking the time to be creative can be a great way to experience some release from grief and also to process emotions. Possibilities include crafts, creating music or taking music lessons, painting, drawing, and taking dance classes (such as Country Line Dancing, Swing Dancing, or Ballroom Dancing). Dance classes are also a great form of exercise and an opportunity to be social.  

Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Emiliano Vittoriosi

Elizabeth Delaney has been a freelance content writer for over 20 years and has enjoyed having her prose published in both the non-fiction and fiction markets. She has written various types of content, including Christian articles, healthy lifestyle, blog posts, business topics, news articles, product descriptions, and some fiction. She is also a singer-songwriter-musician. When she is not busy with writing or music, she enjoys spending time with friends or family and doing fun social activities such as hiking, swing dancing, concerts, and other activities.