Module 3 Page 2 — Project SAIL

Module 3

Many young people who experience grief and loss reduce and even stop doing things that they used to enjoy.
Sometimes this is because of the way we feel. For example, it might be hard to feel motivated to do something nice when you are feeling sad. It can be hard to be around others when we feel sad, angry or guilty.
We can also feel like nothing will ever be enjoyable again so what is the point? For example, because of thinking about how it was not fair to have fun after Charlie’s death, Riley stopped hanging out with friends on weekends. Because of not having things to look forward to on weekends, Riley felt even worse.
Starting to do activities that could be enjoyable is a good way to challenge these kinds of thoughts. For example, what would Charlie say knowing Riley was not spending time with friends anymore? Of course, Charlie’s advice to Riley would be ‘you should go out and see friends, it is important to do things you enjoy’.
It's normal when you are grieving to have thoughts like ‘it’s not important’ to do activities that could be enjoyable BUT taking a small step is important to improving your wellbeing. If you are not convinced, try just one easier to achieve activity, then re-assess how you feel.