However, you can offer reassurance that it’s OK to experience a wave of these feelings and that, hopefully, those feelings will become more bearable with time. Big feelings can be scary and overwhelming. In addition, anyone grieving might find hope in knowing that someone they know has also gone through the same thing and eventually emerged from their grief to move forward.Īnyone who’s lost a loved one may feel intense sadness, extreme anger, regret, and numbness. When you express this to someone, you’re acknowledging the pain that someone grieving may feel. If you’ve experienced grief, you can relate to its difficulty.

“I’m sorry you’re going through something so difficult right now.”.

Even if the person grieving has expressed a need for space, they’ll still feel reassured knowing that you’re only a phone call away. Knowing you’re reachable can be very comforting to someone grieving. Simply stating that you’re available anytime offers genuine support. It validates the emotions they may be experiencing.

When you express your sadness to someone that is grieving, it can help that person not feel alone in their grief. It can be comforting for anyone grieving to hear a story about how much their loved one meant to someone else or how they made a difference in someone else’s life. If you knew the deceased, share a story or a special memory about this person. Here are ten alternative phrases to “Sending thoughts and prayers.”

In any case, you can use other phrases to offer your sympathy and support. Upon hearing the news of someone passing away, you might offer condolences to those grieving by saying, “I’m sending you thoughts and prayers.” Known as a nod to the power and comfort of prayer, some people are OK with this phrase and appreciate it, while others see it as an overused default reaction that doesn’t feel genuine. Death is a complex topic to discuss, and knowing what to say to someone that has experienced losing a loved one can leave you speechless.

Sending you good thoughts