As we work through our emotions with what we deal with in our lives, our emotions good or bad will come and go as we try and cope.

This is an extract from one of my favourite books, “Your Mind Can Heal Your Body” by Matthew Manning. I thought this would be really helpful.

It’s called “A+CC+E+P+T = WIN”

• "Acknowledge" your losses and how you feel about what you’ve lost;
• "Consider" your alternatives;
• "Choose" a way forward;
• "Express" how you feel;

• "Patience" anything you deal with in your lives takes time. Be patient with yourself, so that you give yourself time to heal and recover;

• "Try" relaxing or resting, try being active in your day according to how you feel but don’t overdo it. Stick to your usual routines and say no to anything you think will be too much for you, both physically and emotionally.

• "WIN" you win as you begin to cope. You will begin to feel okay about what you’ve lost, but without the pain that’s normally associated with loss, trauma or bereavement.

Ways to achieve this:

• Talk to a friend, someone you can trust or a counsellor;
• Take time out to consider your emotions, maybe relax or use contemplation as a tool;
• Write a diary, or if you like art paint something tranquil or peaceful;
• Gardening is a good outlet to help bring about peaceful thoughts;
• Go for a walk;
• Take time to think positive thoughts.

I started by having counselling sessions and then progressed to writing my thoughts down away from the counselling arena, through a journal. We’re all different so we’ll probably look to do different things.

It doesn’t matter how you achieve your goal, but one day and one step at a time should help you cope so that you can come to ACCEPT what you have to deal with and then deal with it.