Navigating Grief During the Holidays

Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve are depicted as being full of fun, family and love. “Depicted” is the operative word here. But many people dread the holidays, especially when they’re grieving the death of someone they loved. 

The office of North Shore is committed to helping patients by using empathy, patience and a broad spectrum of knowledge. We provide the highest quality of skilled and experienced care. We tailor the healing process to each patient’s needs.

Knowing how to deal with grief is difficult any time of year. But as November and December creep up, many grievers—especially those whose losses were relatively recent—brace themselves in anticipation of how to handle the holidays without the decedent. They fear the heartache or wonder if it’s acceptable to celebrate without the decedent. Conversely, other people may feel tremendous guilt because they don’t think they’re missing their loved ones as much as they should.

Consider some of these ways to navigate your grief during the holidays. 

Acknowledge how you feel, especially if it’s the first holiday without the person. Share your feelings with others who knew and cared about her (or him). 

Be open to altering holiday traditions. If the person who died was in charge of a tradition, pass it along to another family member or friend, or initiate new traditions. Creating rituals to honor the loved one, such as sharing fun memories, making one of her favorite foods, listening to one of her beloved songs or lighting a candle in her honor, can be an outlet for honoring her.

Let your conflicting feelings coexist. You can be sad over the loss of your loved one while also being happy about gathering with other loved ones. Feeling happiness does not minimize the loss of your loved one and needn’t suppress sadness. You can hold positive and grieving thoughts at the same time. Permitting yourself to do so will ease your body and mind.

No matter why you’re feeling discontented or troubled, life is too short to be in a constant state of emotional distress. A therapist can help you identify the reasons behind it so you can find peace and well-being. North Shore’s professionals are dedicated to the care and comfort of every patient. For more information about how we can help you, please don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment. 

Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve are depicted as being full of fun, family and love. “Depicted” is the operative word here. But many people dread the holidays, especially when they’re grieving the death of someone they loved. 

The office of North Shore is committed to helping patients by using empathy, patience and a broad spectrum of knowledge. We provide the highest quality of skilled and experienced care. We tailor the healing process to each patient’s needs.

Knowing how to deal with grief is difficult any time of year. But as November and December creep up, many grievers—especially those whose losses were relatively recent—brace themselves in anticipation of how to handle the holidays without the decedent. They fear the heartache or wonder if it’s acceptable to celebrate without the decedent. Conversely, other people may feel tremendous guilt because they don’t think they’re missing their loved ones as much as they should.

Consider some of these ways to navigate your grief during the holidays. 

Acknowledge how you feel, especially if it’s the first holiday without the person. Share your feelings with others who knew and cared about her (or him). 

Be open to altering holiday traditions. If the person who died was in charge of a tradition, pass it along to another family member or friend, or initiate new traditions. Creating rituals to honor the loved one, such as sharing fun memories, making one of her favorite foods, listening to one of her beloved songs or lighting a candle in her honor, can be an outlet for honoring her.

Let your conflicting feelings coexist. You can be sad over the loss of your loved one while also being happy about gathering with other loved ones. Feeling happiness does not minimize the loss of your loved one and needn’t suppress sadness. You can hold positive and grieving thoughts at the same time. Permitting yourself to do so will ease your body and mind.

No matter why you’re feeling discontented or troubled, life is too short to be in a constant state of emotional distress. A therapist can help you identify the reasons behind it so you can find peace and well-being. North Shore’s professionals are dedicated to the care and comfort of every patient. For more information about how we can help you, please don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment.