Losing a pet – When your heart is hurting too much

When you have lost a beloved pet, your heart is broken, and you may be in shock.

You have probably heard that you are supposed to allow yourself to grieve when you have lost a loved one. (That is also one of my recommendations).

But what if the pain is too strong or too hard to handle?

Besides seeking professional help, you may find it helpful to find a way to express what you feel in a safe way.

You can do this in many ways you can do that:

⦁ One way is to write it all down. Take a notebook or journal and write until you have no words left. You can also try the writing exercise in my book ‘The Healing Pet Loss 2-Letter Writing Technique‘

⦁ Another is to use your voice. Perhaps you feel like singing; or you can use the Hawaiian mantra/technique, Ho’oponopono, where you repeat the following phrases: “I’m sorry, Please forgive me, I love you, Thank you”. That can be very powerful.

⦁ Talking to someone who understands can in many cases be very helpful

⦁ If you feel drawn to be creative, you can express yourself through art – painting, drawing, collage or many other ways.

⦁ Perhaps you feel the need to express your feelings in a more physical way. Doing gardening work or going for long walks can be among the things that might bring you comfort and soothe your hurting heart. If you are fond of gardening, you can perhaps plant something in your pet’s honor or create a memorial garden.

⦁ Spending time in nature is a wonderful way to return to peace.

⦁ Spending time with or helping animals is a way for you to heal as well as a way to help an animal that needs your love or your care. Helping an animal is a wonderful way to pay tribute your friend that has passed.

⦁ Consciously choosing where you put your focus can also be a way to cope with the intense grief after pet loss. I have, for example, personally found that while I may still feel the pain of the grief, I can find a way to handle the pain by choosing to do things to celebrate and honor the animal friend I have lost.

For me it is, among other things, choosing to see my animal companions as teachers, find what lesson they have to teach me and then work to implement that in my life. That also involves looking (without blaming myself or others!) at the things in connection with my animal companion’s life or death that I could improve or would do differently in the future. I’m always working on improving myself, and a major driving force is the intention to honor the loved ones I have lost.

For me, creating the Healing Pet Loss website has been a way to not only help others cope with the loss of an animal companion, but also a way for me to learn, to grow and to honor the animals I was blessed to have in my life. What lessons does your animal friend have for you, and what actions can you take to honor your animal friend’s memory?

⦁ And there’s one practice that I personally find is essential and that I recommend a daily practice of gratitude. Practicing gratitude is a powerful way to heal the past, to center in the present moment and to find a way forward after loss.

If you have just lost your animal companion and your heart feels like it is broken in a million pieces, try to go within an ask yourself how you can express or soothe the pain you are feeling – in a healthy way. What are some of the options that come up? Feel free to get ideas from what I mentioned above.

Do you consider your pet to be your soul companion or teacher?

❤ Would you like to receive your pet’s personal healing message?
Receiving your pet’s message can be a catalyst to, and the beginning of a deeper healing and spiritual connection with your pet that would otherwise not have been possible.

Learn more about receiving a personal healing message from your own pet.