Coping With Grief At Christmas

Christmas is notoriously known as a joyful time of year full of celebration and happiness, but for some people Christmas is a time of year that they find difficult to cope with. We understand that dealing with the loss of a loved one, or the idea of spending Christmas alone can be daunting for so many, and unfortunately it is a reality for so many. We’re exploring the ways you can be at peace and cope with your grief this Christmas to the best of your ability. PLAN AHEAD Working out in advance how best to spend your Christmas in a way that will ultimately make you happy, will ease anxieties about the festive periods. Set yourself a plan of action for the festivities and do what you can to be prepared. Think about what your needs are and the needs of others sharing the loss of your loved one. SELF CARE Making your self care a priority is important during the erratic festive season. Make sure you give yourself time to think, time to relax and time to reflect. Taking on too much at this difficult time can cause implosion, and keeping busy all the time isn’t always the best way to deal with grief. Make sure you look after yourself, your mind and your body this festive season. SURROUND YOURSELF At times in the festive season you should make an effort to spend time with your loved ones, family and friends. This can be really therapeutic for you and realise that you are not alone in your grief for your loved one. There’s a good chance that the person that you have lost was loved by more than just you, so spending time with these people can really benefit you and allow you to open up about your feelings at this time of year. CELEBRATE The important thing to remember is that your loved one would not want you to spend Christmas feeling woeful and shutting yourself off from the world. When you make it to the end of the day at Christmas, realise that you have survived, you have gotten through something you weren’t sure that you could. Enjoy a drink, indulge but don’t use alcohol to numb pain. Celebrate your victory of getting through Christmas by treating yourself and those around you, you deserve it.