5 Tips for Young Adults Navigating Grief

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Grieving the death of a loved one or someone important to you is difficult under any circumstance, whether the death was sudden or due to a long-term illness. As a young adult, you may already be facing stressful life experiences - going to college, starting a new career, dating, or starting a family.

How are you supposed to focus on your new life changes while feeling the overwhelming sense of losing someone? Everyone grieves differently, and each person’s response to death is unique.

Although there is no right or wrong way to grieve, Kate’s Club has constructed some tips for young adults navigating a world without their loved one or person who died.

Tip #1: Be Patient With Yourself While Grieving

Do you feel like you are on an emotional rollercoaster? One day feeling low, having a hard time focusing, and the next day feeling great, thankful, and positive? Give yourself some grace and time to process this life-changing event.

Acknowledge your feelings from grief, including the highs and lows. Grief may bring many different emotions, all unique to you and your situation– and that’s okay!
Allow yourself to have good days. You may feel guilty for moving on, for smiling, for enjoying life when your person is gone, but it is okay to feel happy too.
There is no set in stone timeline for grieving, so don’t feel like you aren’t going through the “grief stages” fast enough or too fast. This experience is unique to you.

Tip #2: Take Time for Self-Care For Yourself While Grieving

You may feel unmotivated to do your school work or go the extra mile at work during this time. You may feel like you are falling behind, feeling exhausted, or struggling to get things done. Remember to take some time to care for yourself!

Work on healthy habits! Grief can be exhausting, but try your best to eat well, drink lots of water, exercise, and get enough sleep, even on your toughest days.
Prioritize one thing. On the days that you feel unmotivated, pick just one thing on your to-do list to accomplish. Accomplishing something often releases dopamine, the “feel-good” neurotransmitter that can lead to motivation and satisfaction!
Practice self-care! This can be as easy as saying “no” to an invite, treating yourself to something small that brings a smile to your face, or simply cleaning your room and giving yourself a clean space.

“I like to set a timer, play a sad song, and allow myself to feel the grief fully—but only for 15 minutes. This method isn’t about dismissing emotions; it’s about creating a safe space for them, a chance to honor your pain without letting it consume your entire day. When the timer dings, it’s a gentle reminder: you’ve felt, you’ve faced it, and now it’s time to return to life. It’s a small act of compassion, letting grief coexist with the need to keep moving forward.” -Hailey E., LoKate Member

Tip #3: Reach Out For Support

Although grieving can feel incredibly lonesome sometimes, you don’t have to go through this alone! Find a shoulder to lean on for the hard days ahead.

Talk to someone close to you. Reach out to your trusted friends or family members to find support from someone who loves you.
Join a grief support group for your age group (like LoKate, the Kate’s Club young adult program!) to talk to your peers facing similar situations and feelings.
Seek professional help. Sometimes it just feels good to let it out and receive additional, professional support! Seek a counselor or therapist, especially if you are seeing changes in your appetite, sleeping patterns, or thinking about harming yourself or others.
Look for other local grief resources, such as hospice agencies and funeral homes.

Tip #4: Plan For Difficult Times

Holidays, birthdays, or any other significant days can be difficult to navigate after the death of your person. Sometimes, there are even expectations attached to those significant days that can feel overwhelming.

Plan ahead for those times that may be hard. Decide how you want to partake in them and/or how you want to honor your person.
Invite a close friend to attend with you. This can help ease the familial pressure you may feel at family events.
Create an escape plan. Share a code word or signal with your friend for when you need to take a break or leave the situation altogether.

Tip #5: Remember Your Person Who Died

Honoring your person who died can feel therapeutic, helping you find and express different ways to make it seem as though they are still a part of your life. Try finding different ways to keep your person’s memory alive.

Try different creative activities to express your grief: painting, photography, song writing, etc.
Write a letter to your person, keeping them updated on your life, how you’re feeling, or how much you are missing them.
Do something that they loved. Make their favorite recipe, go to their favorite coffee shop, or buy their favorite flowers, anything that brings you joy while also remembering them.

While you are in the midst of your grieving process, you may be feeling excruciating pain, or maybe you feel numb some days. Regardless of how you are processing the death of your person, just know that you are not alone, and grief is a journey unique to each person. Use these tips on the days when you’re feeling unmotivated, stuck, overwhelmed, or just need to feel validated! It’s important to continue to take care of yourself– body, mind, and spirit– and to lean on those around you for extra support.

Contact Kate’s Club for free grief support in Georgia

Kate’s Club empowers children and teens, their families, and young adults facing life after the death of a parent, sibling, caregiver, or someone important to them. The organization builds healing communities through recreational and therapeutic group programs, education, and advocacy. Since its founding in metro Atlanta in 2003, Kate’s Club has served thousands of individuals who are grieving, through both in-house and outreach services. For more information, visit katesclub.org.

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