Grief is a very powerful emotion that can affect every single person when they’ve lost a loved one. When you live far away from your grieving friend, it can be difficult to help them deal with grief. Luckily, there are still ways that you can be there for them during these times. Here’s how.

With our 6 thoughtful ways to help a grieving friend who is far away, we hope to provide you with some helpful tips on what to do for someone who is struggling with grief.

 1. Send them something 

If you can’t be with your friend, the best thing that you can do is send them something like condolence flowers, which will let them know that you’re thinking about them even when you can’t be there to hug them. Sending flowers is appropriate for almost any occasion, from weddings to funerals, so they’re one of the best gifts that you can get for someone who is grieving.  If you are closer with them and the loved one, then here are some gift ideas to remember a loved one.

However, many people will be sending your grieving friend flowers, so it’s important that you go above and beyond. A few other things that you can send them when you’re far away are:

● Meals or gift vouchers for a healthy food subscription - click here for £20 off all-plants healthy and convenient meals

● Thoughtful cards, notes and letters

● Gift cards related to self-care such as beauty, grooming, massage or a spa-day

● Personalized gifts

Remember, this is one of the most difficult times that your friend will face, so they might not be taking proper care of themselves since they are overwhelmed with emotions. Make sure that whatever you send them can help them feel better or take better care of themselves.

 2. Offer support 

Your grieving friend is going to need support after the death of a loved one. It’s possible that the person who passed away acted as their support in the past, which means that there is a void and your friend no longer has that person to go to. Support can also help because grief makes it difficult for someone going through it to care about day-to-day life. Offering support can help your friend more easily adjust to the loss of someone important to them without losing the value of their day-to-day routine.

You can offer support by asking your friend what they need help with. For example, you can offer to travel to them for the day and pick the kids up from school, or care for their pets while they get through the grieving process.

 3. Talk to them 

Some people choose to avoid serious conversations. However, when someone you care about is grieving, you’ll need to be there for them, which means having serious conversations. While you can’t be there in person, you can get on a video chat with them to talk about their feelings and discuss their day. Being there for someone can be many things, including:

● Showing up for the funeral

● Sending them a text to check in with them

● Sharing a meal

● Calling to talk

 4. Help them take a break from day-to-day life 

Someone who is grieving will need to take a break from their job and daily tasks because they are simply processing things differently. However, they also need breaks from their grief. It will be difficult for your friend to distract themselves from the emotions that they’re feeling, so it’s up to you to help them focus on something else so that they can feel better for a little while.

Even though you’re far away, you can still do something simple like watch television together with Teleparty that allows the two of you to watch your favourite movie as though you were together in person.

 5. Don’t forget 

While the intense emotions associated with grief do get better over time, grief is always going to be there for your friend. They’ll remember the deceased’s birthday, fun times they had together, and even the day they passed away. By remembering these important events, you can help your friend cope with their grief in the future by offering them healthy solutions for managing their grief, such as spending time doing something they love.

 6. Ask them to talk to a professional 

While many people get through grief on their own, a ton of people benefit from grief counselling. Online therapy offers your friend the opportunity to talk to someone in a safe environment without judgment. A grief counsellor is also much better prepared than you are to help them through their grief so that they can get back to their daily routine.