Managing Grief at Christmas
Christmas may be a time when you get together with family and friends. Often when you have lost someone you love, you are reminded sometimes by the smallest of things that they are not around.
This may be hard and everyone reacts differently to this. It may be that it causes people to react more sensitively to things. Everyone has their own way of coping. It is important that you look after yourself and have your way of getting through the hard bits.
Here are some ideas that may help you better manage the Christmas holidays.
Allow yourself to be sad
Christmas may have been a time you spent with someone you have lost. It is normal to feel sad that they are not with you. It may help to take some time out, to remember the person you love. You may want to:
- find a quiet spot to remember all the good things about the person
- go and do something that you used to do together
- write a letter to the person
- revisit that favourite spot you had
- share some of the memories with someone close to you
- listen to music, meditate or just have alone time to process your thoughts and memories
It is OK to enjoy yourself
It may be hard to celebrate when you are missing someone you love. It is not uncommon to have a whole lot of different feelings such as sadness, guilt, or excitement. Getting together with family and close friends may be a chance to remember the good times and it's ok to relax and have a laugh. Having fun is not necessarily a sign that you miss that person any less.
Look after yourself
Remembering that this may be a tough time for you is important. This may mean that you have to treat yourself with a bit of care. Avoid making major decisions until after Christmas is over. If possible, treat yourself to something you enjoy doing. It may be that you:
- go to the beach
- go for a walk
- go shopping kick a footy have a massage or spa treatment
- catch up with friends
Talk to someone
Having someone you trust to talk to about how you are feeling may be helpful. This may be a family member, friend or youth worker. If you are finding it hard to cope with day-to-day emotional challenges then it may help to talk to someone like a counsellor.
Extend a helping hand
Although you may not be suffering grief at this time you may know someone who is. It may be a neighbour or friend. Where you know there is no close family or friends challenge yourself to offer a kind helping hand. At the very least drop in or give them a phone call and wish them a seasons greeting. To some it could mean a lot for those that may feel the have no one.
Merry Christmas and Thank you
To those who have lost loved ones in the last year and have used our services to help create lasting memories, we thank you. From the staff at Rose Chapel Funerals & Kingaroy Funerals, our family wishes you and your family a safe and enjoyable Christmas and New Year.
We would like to also remind everyone that we are available 24 hours a day, every day throughout Christmas and the New Year to offer support and guidance.