Something to come back to - Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)

To come back to this at some point and see if I can apply this for some of my low moments in the future.

This book is geared towards first time mothers, which I am not, but I think this could also kind of help with grief as well. 

IPT has framework that involves 4 steps: 

1) Name what’s upsetting you.

Example: I need to spend more time resting at home and slow down; I need to process the loss of xyz

2) Articulate the identity change.

Example: I love being out and about, and I enjoy spontaneous outings; I had a certain relationship to/with xyz that I no longer have

3) Acknowledge the distress and take the time you need to accept your feelings.

Example: I felt frustrated and like I was letting people down, so I took a couple days to mope and sulk until I was ready to let it go; I felt like the love and the life I had known previously is gone forever so I gave myself a week to cry it out

4) Come up with a plan for how to adapt to your new circumstances. 

Example: I focused on making a new Pinterest page and invited my friends to participate; I spent time with friends outside soaking up sun and swimming in any available (and clean) water

One thing this technique is specifically geared toward is “role transition” and the book describes this as “a life change that causes an intense shift in your identity…” and “high-stress times that, if ignored, can trigger depression and other kinds of psychological tension.” The book obviously intends for you to look at it through the lens of your life changing from being centered around you to being centered around a child, but I do think this description is totally applicable to losing a loved one as well.