The effects of grief can be strong enough to influence everything in a person’s life. Your performance in daily activities such as school or work may be impacted as a result of experiencing the negative and stressful effects of grief. Moreover, your thoughts and actions may reflect heavily on your memories of your loved ones as you attempt to process grief. Despite losing a loved one, they could still be remembered through their favorite items and activities, symbolizing their past existence. Their memories and experiences can still be present in our lives, from a favorite restaurant, holidays, and even simple activities such as a long walk. Depending on your perspective while re-engaging in these activities, it can vary from being negative about your loss while living in the past, to positive acceptance and moving forward while commemorating the dead.
Through this challenging period in life, your mental health is the most vulnerable and requires more effort to maintain than usual. You may struggle with emotional memories and attempt to throw certain belongings and mementos out. Disregarding the loss of a loved one can inhibit your emotional growth and delay the acceptance of their passing. Moreover, you may avoid certain people because of their connections with the deceased. All of this can lead to negative impacts on your social relationships with your family, colleagues, and friends. Ultimately, the experience of grief can negatively impact someone's mental health in multiple ways and requires constant attention to heal from it properly.