Exploring projects, ideas and activities
Projects, ideas and activities can offer a gentle distraction from grief, providing a way to channel your energy into something meaningful. Whether it's exploring a new hobby, expressing your creativity, seeking adventure, supporting a cause, fulfilling a lifelong dream or ticking something off your bucket list — these moments can bring purpose, comfort and healing.
Solo holidays
Take a solo holiday! It's scary at first but once you get used to it, it can be fun and a great way to meet new people.
Use it as a time for reflection, spend time thinking about your loved one, evaluating life or just contemplating your navel...be adventurous, I have done it three times in the last two years.
I’m hoping my next getaway will be a guided tour—maybe somewhere in South America or the Far East.
Involve yourself in an ethical business
To help you through grief, consider joining or starting an ethical business.
Grief can feel overwhelming, but meaningful action—especially work rooted in compassion and positive impact—can be healing. Starting or contributing to an ethical business not only creates something of value for others, but it also allows you to:
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Rebuild a sense of purpose
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Create positive change in your community
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Honour the memory of a loved one through meaningful work
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Connect with others who share your values
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Transform loss into legacy
Whether you choose to support social enterprises, eco-conscious brands or start something aligned with your heart, an ethical business can become a powerful part of your healing journey.
🌿 Discovering Purpose Through Tropic Skincare Finding Meaning and Connection After Loss After experiencing grief, I found myself searching for something that felt purposeful—something that aligned with my values and gave me a renewed sense of direction. That’s when I was introduced to Tropic Skincare. As I learned more about the company, its founder’s story and its commitment to sustainability, cruelty-free practices and ethical beauty products, something clicked. Their values—kindness to people, the planet and animals—resonated with me during a time when I was trying to rebuild and refocus. Tropic isn’t just about skincare; it's about community, compassion and conscious living. I felt drawn to that mission and with encouragement from my cousin, I decided to become a Tropic Ambassador—sharing the products with others and building a business that feels good to be part of. This journey has given me more than a source of income—it’s offered connections and a way to channel my energy into something positive. It’s been a small but meaningful step in navigating life after loss.
Do something for charity
Do something for a charity that resonates with you
Giving back can be a healing act of remembrance.
When you're grieving, it can be comforting to do something that honours your loved one or focuses your emotions into something meaningful. Supporting a charity—whether through time, skills or donations, can offer a sense of purpose and connection during difficult times.
Choose a Cause That Feels Personal
Think about what mattered to your loved one, or what touches your heart. It might relate to their interests, a health condition, or a broader cause you both cared about.
Ideas to Get You Started:
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Donate in their name
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Volunteer your time
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Organize a fundraiser
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Join a charity challenge
Remember:
Giving doesn’t have to be grand to be meaningful. Even small gestures done with love can make a big impact, for others and for your own healing.
Testimonials
Caroline lost her son, Guy, to epilepsy. To honor his memory, she chose to raise funds for a cause close to her heart—Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). An act of courage and love, Caroline completed a skydive to support the charity.
Robbie Curtis, 1997-2020
On Robbie’s passing, tributes flowed in from friends and family, over £12,000 was raised. Some was donated to the Samaritans and the remainder helped create a foundation in his memory: ‘R World’ was born; the name Robbie gave to his travel blog. The charity is dedicated to improving our world by targeting mental health and international development.
Robbie's dream was to work in Africa and so his foundation www.rworld.org.uk has done just that, funding a library in Malawi; check out the very short video to mark this event.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nMq6zEYtdk
Robbie is so missed but his light will continue to shine!
Kim Webster lost her 17 year old son, Will, after he took the painkiller Tramadol. In a bid to warn others of the dangers and paint a picture of how difficult her life has been since his death, Kim is on a mission to help educate, inform and ultimately save young lives.
William Jon Horley,
2000-2018
As part of the Kenward Trust, based in Kent, 'Think Differently' is an award winning intention and prevention educational programme for young people aged 11-18. The programme focuses on substance misuse awareness, resilience and informed decision-making and is delivered by people with lived experience. It aims to support young people before harmful behaviours take hold, empowering them to make positive choices for their future.