8 Ways to Navigate the Holidays in the Midst of Grief
It might seem too early to worry about the holiday season but it will be here before you know it. And we know that many grieving folks are already actively dreading the holidays. So how do you get through the holidays when you’re grieving?
“There’s so much pressure and expectation around the holiday season even without grief,” says Megan Devine, psychotherapist, podcast host, author, and grief advocate. “When we add grief to it, we’ve got to talk about how to get through it, survive it, and take care of each other. It can make a really rough situation worse if we’re not talking about it.”
Read this guide from Healthline for 8 helpful tips on how to navigate the holidays as a grieving person.
It’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but the winter holidays can feel like anything but for someone who’s grieving.
The holidays are often steeped in tradition—dad’s famous casserole, grandma’s chocolate chip cookies, or the sparkle in a child’s eyes as they open their gifts.
If you’ve recently lost a loved one, these traditions may be hard to face without them.
On top of that, people who’ll be sitting at the same holiday table may disagree over how to handle those special traditions without the loved one this year.
That can add to the stress and pain.
Though you can’t always predict how you’ll feel in certain situations, being prepared for challenges, feelings, and conversations can make navigating grief during the holidays a bit easier.
