For most younger people, death tends to come few and far between. But as you get older, you’ll quickly find that many people you know are moving into assisted living facilities or seem to be dying at faster intervals. When this happens, it can be hard to know how to cope with all the loss that you seem to be experiencing. And while there’s no replacing the people you know who have died, there are things you can do to help get yourself through these more emotional times.

To help you see how this can be done, here are three tips for coping with the death of a friend. 

Don’t Judge Your Own Feelings

Having someone die can affect all kinds of people in all kinds of ways. While some might be immediately emotional, others might take days or even weeks before they can allow their emotions to come to the surface. So when you know someone close to you who has died, try not to judge your feelings or the feelings of those around you. 

Regardless of what you’re feeling and how you’re responding to the news of this death, you can rest assured knowing that grief takes many different forms and that whatever you feel is perfectly normal. 

Find Ways To Support Their Family

While losing your friend might be incredibly hard on you, it’s also likely to be incredibly hard on their family. Knowing this, one thing you can do to help during this situation is to find ways that you can serve and support their family. 

Especially if you feel like you’re able to continue functioning as you work through this loss, doing something for your friend’s family could be a great way for you to show them how much you cared for their family member and do something to honor your relationship with that person. Even something as simple as bringing a meal or helping execute on plans for the funeral can be immensely helpful, both to their family and to you as you grieve your friend. 

Look For Someone To Talk To

While you may not have been a blood relative to this person, your bond with them may have been equally strong. So while you may not think you have as much of a right to be sad and grieve their loss, you absolutely do. 

To help you get through this, it can be helpful to find someone that you can talk to about what you’re thinking and feeling. As you’re able to process through this experience with someone with an empathetic ear, you’ll be able to feel supported as you go through the grieving and healing process. 

If you’ve just recently had a close friend who has died, consider using the tips mentioned above as you seek to cope with this tragic loss.