Getting over the death of a pet: 5 steps you should follow

In this article I want to help you getting over the death of a pet by providing some really effective insights.

These are stages that I myself went through when I lost my beloved Argo.

I list them for you below:

1. Accept the pain
2. Share your emotions
3. Find yourself again
4. Honor the memory of the animal
5. Adopting a new puppy: right or wrong?

In the next chapters I will explain them to you one by one.

1. When your 4-legged friend dies, you have to accept the pain

The death of your four-legged friend hits you in a devastating way. You miss an important landmark, you are reminded of memories of when your pet was with you and brought so much joy into your life.

His death causes you grief, anger, sadness, fear and anxiety. And one of the greatest difficulties you face is that of immense guilt and helplessness.

However, you must necessarily accept the fact that your pet is no longer with you... Accepting grief is the first thing to do after its loss.

Do not be ashamed of the tears you shed or the fact that you feel sad and want to isolate yourself from the rest of the world. Accepting grief means taking the time to acknowledge your sadness and then letting go.

To figure out how to get over his death, you will have to go through several stages ranging from "I can't accept it" to actual acceptance.

You will have to get used to the mood swings and the shift from sadness to anger and then finally arrive at the guilt-free acceptance that will allow you to move on.

2. Share your moods when a pet dies

The key to understanding how to get over the death of a pet is not to close yourself off.

Talk to someone you trust, someone who has been through situations similar to yours, who understands you.

Get away from people who underestimate your feelings or who belittle your pain.

Being unhappy about the death of your pet is a right and sharing the state of mind with a loved one, with those who have already been through it, can help you recover faster.

3. How to overcome the death of a pet if you neglect yourself?

You will definitely want to shut yourself in and isolate yourself. Do it if you need it... But don't forget to take care of yourself by giving yourself moments of relaxation and engaging in your hobbies.

Doing what makes you feel good is most important to promote a faster recovery from pain.

I leave you with some tips that have helped me lessen the pain and not fall into the endless, chronic sadness:

Take breaks during the day to do something that makes you happy, like spending time with friends

Devote yourself to your hobbies such as reading, writing, watching your favorite TV series

Reflect and accept that in life that we cannot control everything: nature takes its course and unfortunately you cannot have control over everything

4. Overcome grief by honoring your pet

Give your pet a proper farewell, perhaps with a small ritual that honors him or her for the life spent with you.

Honor him with flowers every day, or dedicate a sweet farewell letter.

If you have children who grieve his loss as you do, you can find help in this article.

For months I took care of the flowers that grew on the grave of my beloved Argo. Wonderful, colorful sunflowers had sprouted, which I watered every day.

Now those sunflowers are part of the portraits of many people who, like you, have decided to memorialize their pet with their own personalized portrait.

You can do it too by clicking here

5. Adopting a puppy after the death of your pet?

No one can replace your pet, but coping with grief by welcoming a new puppy into your home can help you cope with its death.

But beware: it will never replace your beloved friend, it will only make his loss sweeter. My advice is to proceed step by step and not to do it right away.

Before you make the decision to adopt a new puppy, really think about it: only if you feel ready, and have accepted the death of your pet, will you be able to care for a new furry friend.

Conclusion

Remember that your heart is big enough both to continue to love your deceased pet and to welcome a new friend into your life.

A hug,

Helen