Enjoying the holiday season may seem impossible after losing a loved one. There’s just something about this time of year that makes it difficult to get in the holiday spirit after experiencing loss.
And while holidays will never be the same without them, it’s important to take care of yourself emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually during this time.
I’ve been having a difficult time getting into the holiday spirit after losing loved ones earlier this year.
I am learning that grief is a journey that often comes in waves. One moment your emotions may be at ease, and manageable, and you have a sense of peace and joy in your daily life. Then the next moment may feel completely taken back to the exact day that you received the devastating news that changed your life forever.
How Do You Enjoy The Holidays After Losing A Loved One?
Enjoying the holidays after losing a loved one may be extremely difficult, though there’s no perfect formula to grief, I believe that through planning and intentionality, you can enjoy the holiday day season even after loss.
I hope this post encourages you to take each day one step at a time so you may heal gracefully and be filled with joy this holiday season. Some days may be more challenging than others but being mindful of your thoughts and actions can also help you to enjoy the holidays and life after the holiday season.
This holiday season may look and feel tremendously different from previous years but it doesn’t have to be a waste.
To have the opportunity to see another day and the ability to breathe is such a blessing. In today’s post, I share a few ways that I’m making the most of the holidays in the midst of grieving. Doing so will allow me to enjoy the season and honor lost loved ones.
*This post is solely based on my personal experience with grief*
Here are 5 Ways To Enjoy The Holidays While Grieving.🙇♀️🧺🎄🍲💜
How To Enjoy The Holidays While Grieving
5 Ways To Navigate Grief During The Holiday Season
1. Remember That You’re Not Alone
Healing can be uncomfortable, unpredictable, and can cause you to feel isolated even when surrounded by others.You may feel as if you’re alone and that no one understands how you feel.
Enjoying the holidays while grieving is possible and it may be difficult at first but the more time you spend increasing your faith and living intentionally, the more you’ll receive the comfort, joy, love, peace, and true fulfillment that only God gives.
2. Talk About How You Feel
Talking about how you feel can help you process emotions, reflect, and can also help you progress in your healing journey.
Losing a loved one comes with so many emotions, thoughts, and feelings that are a completely natural part of your grieving journey. It’s what you do with those feelings and emotions that makes all the difference.
Whether you’re experiencing negative or positive emotions, you may find it helpful talk about the feelings you’re experiencing.
Vocalizing how I feel helps me to accept the loss, acknowledge my feelings, and process what I’m feeling or thinking. Consequently, this allows me to focus on the good by developing a grateful heart.
It’s also crucial to be mindful of who you choose to confide in. Be sure that you’re only sharing this sensitive information for trusted sources such as family or loved one you trust, mental health professional, or a support group. If you’re not ready to talk about how you feel to others at the moment, I highly recommend prayer and journaling.
3. Create A Holiday Wellness Kit
Since we can’t predict how we will feel every day this holiday season, it might be helpful to plan ahead.
Creating a holiday wellness kit is basically your go to essentials to help your enjoy and thrive during the holidays. It can also help you to be present and romanticize how the holiday season.
Taking care of your emotional health is vital and something that I’ve been prioritizing especially after a loss. Grief can change how you see yourself, others, the world, your passions and your future. So, be gentle with yourself even if that means staying connected to your values. A few of my holiday wellness kit essentials specifically for grief are:
- My Bible – to grow my faith and stay grounded.
- A Journal – in this journal I do my daily devotional, pray, and dream with Jesus🌥️🦋
- A book or two – currently reading What About Me by Joyce Meyer and Daughters Of Shandong by Eve J. Chung
- A Planner – I currently use this planner to stay organized and work more efficiently.
- Feel good movies and shows
- Calling or spending time with loved ones.
- Go to nutritional meals
4. Make Time For Holiday Festivities
What better way to enjoy the holidays than to indulge in holiday activities! There are sooooo many fun things to do during the holidays.
Planning and making time for Christmas festivities can help you make the most of the holidays.
Creating a bucket list, planning a Christmas date night, attending a holiday party, hosting a holiday dinner, or finding events happening near you are a great way to create new memories and live your life!
5. Create A Morning Routine
Creating a morning routine specifically for the holidays can help you stay organized, start each day easily, and make the most of each day.
A morning routine can give you something to look forward to and be a breath of fresh air. It’s also a great way to spend time with yourself, reflect, and build faith. Mornings are a great time to add a few activities that allow you to feel grounded and motivated throughout the day.
A few ways to have a slow morning and add a festive touch to each day are:
- Turning on a Christmas jazz playlist while getting ready for the day.
- Starting each day with prayer, journaling, or affirmations.
- Making a seasonal holiday drink or breakfast.
- Planning your day to improve time management
- Going for a morning walk.
6. Honor Your Loved One(s)
The holiday season one of the most fun and beautiful times of the year. From the Christmas lights, music, seasonal treats, to holiday festivities.
It’s hard to avoid the holiday cheer that surrounds you when you’re running errands, grocery shopping, or enjoying nature.
Honoring your loved one(s) is a great way to get excited for the holidays.
They may not be here physically to celebrate the holidays with you but you can honor them by cherishing them and the positive impact they’ve made in your life.
Making their favorite dish, watching their favorite holiday movie, starting a grief journal, listening to their favorite songs, repurposing something sentimental that they gave to you, or start a new tradition are all thoughtful ways to honor someone you’ve lost.
7. Improve Your Environment
Transforming your environment is another effective way to enjoy the holidays while grieving.
Our spaces can both impact and reflect how we’re feeling.
Whether it’s your home, workspace, or the people you’re surrounded by in your day-to-day life. There are a few things that you can do to create a positive shift both internally and externally.
Internally you can work on things such as faith, mindset, healing, setting boundaries, and maintaining a positive outlook. Physically improving your environments can be done by keeping them tidy, reorganizing furniture, or adding some holiday decor to make your space fun and festive for the holidays.
These Are Ways To Enjoy The Holidays While Grieving
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