How can I calm my anxiety before a funeral? (2023)

How do I stop being anxious at a funeral?

If you've ever felt anxious at a funeral, you're not alone. There are many different reasons why people might feel stressed or nervous in the lead up to the funeral of a loved one, friend or acquaintance.

Nurture your senses: listen to music or the sounds that abound in nature. Engage in prayer or meditation: tap into, or get reacquainted with, your spiritual side. Reduce your list of necessary activities and chores: now is the time to delegate tasks to others, so you can devote your time to self-care.

Practice yoga, meditate, get a massage, write in your journal, give yourself a pedicure or take a relaxing nap.

5 reasons not to go to the funeral:

Your attendance at the service would be upsetting to any member of the immediate family. The services are private and not open to the public. The services are out of town and you cannot get there, or you cannot arrange for the time off work.

The ideal environment is going to vary from person to person, but a few tips from the experts are: Block out as much light as possible (use an eye mask, if necessary) Leave your phone in another room and refrain from using it for at least 60 minutes before sleep.

“I'm so sorry about your loss. [The deceased] was a good person and they'll be very missed.” “Please accept my deepest condolences for your loss.” “[The deceased] was a wonderful person and I'll miss them very much.”

What instantly relieves anxiety?

The most prominent of anti-anxiety drugs for the purpose of immediate relief are those known as benzodiazepines; among them are alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), diazepam (Valium), and lorazepam (Ativan).

A Filipino superstition holds that you should not go straight home after a funeral. If you do, death may follow you. So stop off somewhere else first.

Whatever the reason you can't attend, guilt is a normal feeling. But remember, you did not actually fail your loved one. Let the family know as soon as possible, and offer to help in another way. Say goodbye to your loved one on your own, to start the healing process.

Avoid dressing in casual clothing, such as athletic wear, tank tops, or shorts. Skip the flip-flops, tennis shoes, sneakers, or boat shoes. Remove the neon necktie, purse, or accessory. Shy away from wearing jeans, even black ones, because they are considered too casual for a funeral.

Funeral anxiety can stem from many different issues, including social anxiety which can make you feel uncomfortable when asked to deliver a eulogy or play another important role in the funeral. You may feel uncomfortable expressing your emotions around people that you haven't seen for a long time.

Often funerals can bring up thoughts of other people who have died. It's quite common to find that you are grieving someone you didn't expect to. Sometimes people feel worried or even guilty that they are not focussing on the 'right' feelings or even the right person. But it's very normal.

Why I shouldn't be afraid of death?

Fearing death also makes it harder for us to process grief. A recent study found that those who were afraid of death were more likely to have prolonged symptoms of grief after losing a loved one compared to those who had accepted death.

Medical professionals link anxiety around death to a range of mental health conditions, including depressive disorders, PTSD, and anxiety disorders. Death anxiety is associated with a range of specific phobias.

Sadness. This is perhaps the most common and universal emotion to experience at a funeral. The experience of loss naturally results in sadness, and the more you loved and cherished the one you lost, the more sadness you'll probably feel.

HSPs can feel like their grief looks different than everyone else's - that's okay. Since HSP's tend to feel more deeply and have bigger emotions than a lot of people, we're often more expressive of our sadness when we're grieving. Our emotions often live right at the surface, not buried deep.

It's not uncommon to not cry at funerals, even if you were very close to the deceased. This is because funerals are often a time for celebrating a life, rather than grieving a loss. There may also be a lot of people around who are emotional, which can make it difficult to express your own emotions.