6 Ways to Optimize Tech to Help You Mourn And Cope
The onset of the digital revolution changed many things, including how people grieve. From Zoom funeral services to online obituaries, it is clear that the way people communicate, support, and comfort each other have evolved tremendously. Today, you can leverage technology to manage your grief. Though it does come with new questions like how to handle social media used properly after a death, technology has given the world more helpful resources. Here are some tips so you can use tech to help you mourn and move on.
1. Publish an Online Obituary
Today, you can opt to have the death announcement published in a newspaper and an online obituary. This endeavor assures that many people can see your last tribute for the deceased. This means that people who don’t have access to the community paper can still read the touching words that honor the deceased’s life. Besides, people can readily share an online obituary on social media.
On top of that, this lives permanently on the internet and can be archived, too. Just remember to practice good judgment before publishing the online obituary. Make sure all the immediate family and close friends have been notified. It would be very disheartening to read on social media that the person you care about has died.
2. Participate in the Live Streaming Session
When it is impossible to attend the funeral, you can host live streaming of the ceremony so others who are far away can participate online. Just provide them with the time and the streaming platform. Alternatively, you can record the services and share them with others for later viewing.
Thankfully, the power of the internet and computers manage to bridge time and space, allowing families and friends to convene despite the distance. You can even ask important guests to record eulogies in case they cannot make the physical service.
3. Take Comfort in a Virtual Guest Book
Even if you hold physical funeral ceremonies, it would still be helpful to set up an online guestbook for your departed loved ones. This gives those far away from the services the chance to show their support from a distance. Unfortunately, illness, work, military service, and the like can prevent close relatives and friends from coming over for the actual funeral.
Instead, an online obituary will give them a space to share fond memories of the deceased. In here, you can grieve a community though you cannot be physically present together. Most of all, reading the touching messages is very comforting for the family.
4. Set Up a Crowdfunding Account For Financial Help
Death can be very difficult, not just emotionally but financially. When the family is ill-prepared to face death, it can send them into debt. To provide assistance, you can set up a crowdfunding site via YouCaring or GoFundMe. These are now acceptable ways to raise support for the grieving family, especially when the deceased doesn’t have life insurance or final expense insurance.
The donation page can include a short copy of the life of the deceased and the plight of the surviving family members. Those who donate can also leave comforting comments. Remember to get the go-signal of the immediate family members before setting up the crowdfunding page. You don’t want to ruffle any feathers as this is a sensitive topic.
5. Try Online Counseling With a Therapist
Modern technology has made it much easier for grieving family members to receive professional support. Shortly after a death, it would be a good idea to cry and let it all out to people you feel close to. It is also a good idea to seek grief counseling to process your turbulent emotions. If you feel insurmountable depression, a mental consult is even more imperative. You must seek professional advice if your grief prevents you from the following:
- Taking care of yourself
- Looking out for your children
- Going to work
- Performing usual activities
- Living a normal life
6. Work with Virtual Support Groups and Communities
People who experience the same thing band together to support and lift each other during hard times. You will find many groups that share your cause like the following:
- Hope Again (for young people living after a loss)
- Christian Grief Healing (for believers)
- Mourning Parents (for those who lost a child)
- Stillbirth Alliance (for moms who gave birth to a stillborn)
- Miscarriage Association (for those who lost babies in utero)
A quick Google search will reveal the results of online support groups. You can even join an anonymous grief network if you don’t want to reveal your identity. The key is finding people to connect with, so you can heal. Those who suffer the same predicament will best understand your situation. And those who have managed to heal will offer you hope that you can bounce back from your loss someday.
The Final Wrap Up
Remember, it is okay to feel sad when you lose a loved one. Thankfully, technology can help soothe the blows of the loss. When you manage tech correctly, you can connect with people who matter and mourn together. This means you don’t have to bear the burden of grieving solo. After all, it always helps to share the load and look out for each other.
