Distracting Grief with On-Line Learning

Nature is a great teacher we do not pay attention to enough. In the cold winter months, nature appears to do very little, hibernating and resting, preparing for the coming of the warm spring.  For those of us living in colder temperatures, this is a good month to snuggle inside.  Although with current times we have been snuggling alone for too long, which makes one feel restless.    

Maybe this is a time to think about, dare I say dream about, something we have always wanted to try.  Is there a hobby you have always wanted to take up or something you wanted to learn? Maybe you could learn a new language or take a course in self-discovery or how to paint. The internet is filled with courses available for every interest and most of them are free or affordable.

 For those of us grieving, on-line learning can be doable.  It doesn’t require going out into the public and the energy it takes to make small talk.  On-line courses are usually self paced so you can learn when you feel up to it. They are usually short in length.  They usually have a forum to share if you so choose through a Face Book group or comment section giving you the option to be social.  It is a comfortable way to try new things without a major commitment.

I have taken two courses. One introduced me to a group of like minded people who I engage with over social media. The other was a 7-day clutter challenge.  Each day you learned of a possibility of why we hang on to our stuff. It introduced a sort of spiritual help to assist in looking into the emotion or belief of these hesitations, all designed to help one declutter better. Beyond the usual does it have value, is it beautiful, and is it meaningful measure to keep or chuck, this course instructed you to meditate before beginning. The meditation had you visualize being in the room and gazing upon each individual item and remembering where it came from, and noticing that immediate reaction to it.  Does it give you energy when you think of it or take away energy? If it takes away, get rid of it. Zane’s room was on this list.  His whole room gives me sweet memories and a bittersweet energy so it stays just as it is. The bonus of this course was that my husband got involved and decided to take the initiative for his areas of the home.  Who knew there was carpet in his home office? And it has become (a new) habit for him to put away his clothes.  Bonus!

These quick courses are a distraction from grief.  They are a topic of personal interest and require a short attention span.  I feel productive that I have accomplished something of interest to me. So, while it is cold and blowing outside, I snuggle into a cozy chair with my lap top and take in my lesson of the day. This gives me energy that I can use or store away for a future sunny day. It also gives my grief a break.  And that is good mourning.