13 Gentle Ways to Deal With Grief This Holiday Season

Hello World!  Welcome Friends!  Christmas is a time of laughter and family. It is an opportunity to spend time with your family and the people you love. However, it is difficult to see the holiday season the same way if you are dealing with grief. Losing a loved one is always tricky. Unfortunately, grief does not take a break even during Christmas. It is important that you do not pressure yourself into anything you do not feel comfortable doing. Our gentle ways of dealing with grief will help you to keep your feet on the ground this holiday season.

Do Not Avoid Feeling the Grief

Christmas is supposed to be a time when you feel happy and soak in the warm atmosphere. When you are dealing with grief and the loss of a loved one, you might feel like you need to force yourself to be happy and forget the sadness. However, if you want to heal faster and in a healthy way, you need to allow yourself to embrace the grief. It is completely natural to feel these emotions after losing someone you love. Do not force yourself to feel emotions that seem unnatural at the moment.

Set Clear Boundaries and Do Not Feel Pressured

When you are dealing with grief, you should not feel pressured to feel a certain way. You also should not do anything you do not feel comfortable with. Therefore, if you do not want to attend a family gathering, do not force yourself to go. It is important that you set clear boundaries so others understand what you want to do and what would make you comfortable. Before going anywhere, make sure that it is something you want to do and that you are ready. Perhaps you might try to attend some fun event. That will help you to take your mind off the grief for a moment, and you can always leave if it becomes too much.

Make a Memory of a Loved One Part of Your Christmas Celebrations

Spending the first Christmas without your loved one can be challenging. Suddenly, you are aware of their absence more than before. However, you can still make the memory of a loved one part of your Christmas celebrations. Heart to Heart Sympathy Gifts can help you to wish Merry Christmas to those in heaven with a personalized Christmas in Heaven ornament. You can also listen to the loved one’s favorite Christmas carols or cook the meal they loved having during the holiday season. To take a step further and honor them this season, try leaving them an empty seat at the table once you sit down for dinner.

Continue With the Old Traditions

With the overwhelming power of grief, it can be helpful to hold on to the old traditions. It will help you to remember the people you have lost and keep their memory alive and bright. You do not need to follow only the big traditions. If there are any small habits that they used to kick off their holiday spirit, you can try to hold on to these. You should also remember that you should not compare the tradition to what it felt like when your loved one was still around. Instead, use it as an opportunity to celebrate their life and all the moments you spent together.

Create Special and New Traditions

Creating new traditions can be an effective way to cope with grief. They can help you to start a new chapter of your life and remember what makes the holiday season so magical. You will be able to make new memories and build on those that you already have. The best way to honor a loved one is to be happy and live your life to the fullest. After all, it is what they would have wanted for you. If you experience any feelings of guilt, embrace them, challenge them and ponder if you really should feel that way.

Take Time to Help Others

Suppose there was a cause or charity your loved one was passionate about. In that case, you can honor their memory by taking the time to help others. Doing something charitable will help you to take your mind off the sadness and focus on bringing joy to others who are less fortunate. For instance, you might offer assistance in the kitchen that serves food to homeless people in your local area. Or you can buy presents for children in a children’s home. Perhaps you might also offer your help in the local hospital and try to make others happy.

Find Techniques That Will Help You Calm Down

Battling grief can come with many different emotions and struggles. On some occasions, you might feel overwhelmed and even anxious. When the Christmas celebrations get too much, you should step out and have a list of techniques that help you to become calmer again. Some people can feel better when they use some breathing techniques. On the other hand, some people enjoy yoga or meditation. That way, you will be able to bring peace to your mind and deal with the emotions you are experiencing better.

Talk to Your Loved Ones

When you are going through a hard time, you should not try to bottle up your emotions. Do not distance yourself from other people who are close to you and care for you. Instead, try talking to them. Share the depth of your emotions, and you will be met with understanding. Remember that they might be going through very similar emotions as you. Perhaps you might share stories about the person you have lost. It will help you to remember the good memories and distance yourself from the sadness for a moment. You might even share with each other how you deal with the grief. They might be able to offer you a new perspective and find something new that could make you feel better.

Ask for Professional Help When It Gets Overwhelming

Grief is a difficult thing to deal with, and it might be easy to let emotions consume you. If you feel like the grief affects your everyday life or you are struggling to move on, it might be time to reach out to professionals. They will know of more advanced techniques that can help you to understand your emotions. You will also get a different point of view, and they might help you to see things you have not seen before during the therapy. Sometimes, it might be easier to open up to a stranger rather than to someone who is close to you. By seeing someone with professional training, you will be in safe hands, which might help you feel lighter and happier again.

Allow Yourself to Find a Healthy Distraction

While getting in tune with your emotions and embracing the grief is good, you can also find healthy distractions that will take your mind off the sad feelings for a while. Watch some of your favorite Christmas movies and allow yourself to let go of the sadness for a while. Dance around your home while listening to Christmas songs, or bake a tray of cookies. Then, you might find out that you feel refreshed and can continue your way through the healing process.

Be Compassionate With Others

It might be easy to get annoyed at others when they keep inviting you to events that might cheer you up. If you do not feel ready, do not force yourself into attending. However, you should also carry compassion towards them. They might be going through grief as well. On top of that, they are only trying to help. Therefore, make sure that you tell them what you need and appreciate their efforts. Having someone in your corner when life gets difficult is invaluable.

Write Down Your Thoughts

Talking about your emotions is never easy. When your grief becomes overwhelming, and you are hit with an unexpected amount of emotion, try writing down your thoughts. Write about what is going through your mind. You can also put on paper some of the happiest memories you can think of. Journalling can also be a way of saying a final farewell to the loved one you lost. If there is anything you had not managed to tell them before they passed away, write them a letter. It will allow you to get off your chest anything that has been bothering you. In the end, it might help you to breathe easier. Writing is a powerful tool, and it might help you to find yourself again.

Look for the Little Things That Make You Happy

Being grateful for the little things that make you happy can help you overcome dark times. Find things that appear in your life every day and make you feel happy that you are alive. Go for a walk and see how beautiful the world around you is. Appreciate all those people who love you and care for you. Perhaps, you might even start writing a gratitude journal. There, you can write anything that you feel grateful for on a particular day, no matter how big or small. Perhaps you are grateful for all the flowers in your backyard. Or you can be happy for all the kind strangers who wish you a good morning when you head out for a walk. Happiness is within reach of your fingertips, and it would be a pity if you did not make use of it.

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Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful day/night depending on where you are in the world!  Go with God and remember to be kind to one another!

Toodles,

Between Naps on the Porch