Tips for Coping with Grief During the Christmas Season

Christmas and other holidays can be very difficult time for you if you have experienced death of someone loved. This season of togetherness and good times can be a painful reminder of what you have lost. 

Watching others happy and thankful, celebrating this season of joy and hope, while you struggle with depression and loneliness it’s a hard and painful experience. It takes time and courage to stand up and move on. 

But you already know that you can live with these feelings forever. It is not good for your mental and physical health. You need to find a way to take the first step – coping with your grief.  

Here are some tips that will help you to cope with your grief during these holidays.

1.  Remind yourself that this Christmas season is different.

We all have our own tradition for each holiday, every year. But now, you should know that this Christmas is a new holiday, different from every holiday in your past. No matter how hard you try it to be the same, it will be unlike any other before. So, decide if you can still handle the traditions you have had in the past. Ask yourself if you want to continue with them. Create a new tradition or ritual that accommodates your current situation.

2.   Eliminate as much pressure as possible. 

Plan ahead. What do you want or you don’t want to do this Christmas? If this year is so difficult for you to do something, than don’t do it. There is no right or wrong way to handle this holiday season. Decide what would make this Christmas as good as possible for you and your family and do that. 

3. Surround yourself with people who love and support you.

Share your plans with family and closest friends and let them know of any intended changes in holiday routine. Memories can sometimes be a source of comfort to the bereaved. Share your memories with others of holidays spent with your loved one by telling stories and looking at photo albums. 

4. Allow yourself to feel joy, sadness, anger – allow yourself to grieve. 

It is important to recognize that every family member has his/her own unique grief experience and may have different needs related to celebrating the holidays. No one way is right or wrong. Experiencing joy and laughter does not mean you have forgotten your loved one.

5. Find something positive in your life.

Nothing can replace the presence of the loved one that you lost, but you can keep that person’s memory and spirit alive by doing something special in their memory. Also you can help to someone else whose Christmas will be hard and difficult. You can volunteer somewhere. Invite someone in your house for a dinner. Provide help to some poor family. Make a financial donation to a worthy cause. By helping someone else, you will feel better and happier.  But, don’t forget your limits. You can’t buy your way out of grief.

Maybe these holidays will be different and hard for you and your family, but our hope is that some of these tips will help you to get through this Christmas season. Here you can also read something more about depression during Christmas season and how to deal with it.

We are sending you our love and support. Be brave and keep on!