Dealing with Grief at Christmas

Christmas is a very special time for us to meet up with friends and family who we may not have seen all year. It’s a time to come together to celebrate. When that special person is no longer there to join in, it leaves a gaping hole that for some reason, seems even larger than normal. 

So how do we cope? What can we do as individuals to make the loss of a loved one feel less devasting?  

As the saying goes, time is a healer and as years go by, the sense of loss, whilst is still present, doesn’t hurt as much. In the meantime, whilst time is not on our side, there are things we can do as individuals to help us heal.  

Christmas is a time of year that, for many of us, is packed full of family traditions. Sometimes, these traditions will be carried on in the same way to help us remember our loved one and sometimes these traditions will be adapted to fit around the loss. There will be times where an existing family tradition just won’t work. This is then the time to start a new family tradition. However small, whether it’s a Boxing Day walk at a certain beauty spot or a family get-together at a different venue, traditions can be a healthy and comforting way to help with the loss of a loved one at this time of year.  

For those departed loved ones who have passed away on the actual holiday days, such as Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve, pick a point in the day to remember them. Losing someone on a key cab be devastating at any time, and on key dates can feel even more poignant.   

However, in years to come, that devastation, can turn into something more positive as you remember their life and feel that people all around are remembering with you.