Recently bereaved: Practical Advice

What you may be feeling if you are newly bereaved

Most people expect to be very upset or distressed when someone close to them has died. What takes many people by surprise is how strong the emotions can be, how they can change very quickly, and how long they last. People around you may seem to think you should be ‘back to normal’ after a few weeks or months. You might appear to be your usual self to other people, but you know that on the inside, you’re not even sure what normal is anymore.

Unfortunately, at a time when you are feeling numb, grief-stricken, lost, empty and many more emotions, when someone dies there is immediately a lot to do. We call this 'sadmin' . We help you through this here.

We've provided essential information below to help you through the first few weeks.

Our Associate, the National Bereavement Service have produced a very helpful booklet called 'What to do when someone dies' - a helpful checklist for any bereaved person feeling overwhelmed by all the small but important things that need to be done. Download the leaflet HERE

There is other information to help you deal with things when you are ready in this section of the website. This includes a very important section on how to look after yourself at one of the hardest times in your life. You can visit this section HERE

We'll be adding to this section all the time so do visit from time to time.