The loss of loved ones is as natural as the birth of new generations. It is a totally logical process and, as such, must be accepted. However, this task is especially complicated when Christmas arrives. After all, it is a time that one wants to spend with family and that brings to mind many memories of those who are no longer with us. For this reason, grief is especially difficult to manage during this holiday season.
How to Cope with a Recent Loss During Christmas?
Undoubtedly, normalizing the emotions of sadness we feel during the grief for the loss of loved ones at such times is fundamental. Missing someone who has spent a lot of time with us and is no longer here is not strange at all. It is also important to know how to convey this to those around us, adapting the discourse to their age and characteristics. It is never good to suppress feelings and pretend as if nothing is happening.
Tips for Coping with Grief During Christmas
For all these reasons, we want to take this opportunity to offer you a series of tips that will be very useful when facing grief over the loss of loved ones when Christmas arrives.
Create Remembrance Rituals
Experts assure that normality during Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day dinners and meals is not recovered until the third or fourth Christmas after the passing of the loved one. For this reason, creating rituals that serve to remember them in a joyful and smiling way is ideal.
Many people leave an empty chair at the table to keep present the one who is no longer among them. Others choose to relive anecdotes experienced with the person or to look through old or recent photo albums.
Seek New Traditions
In most cases, repeating traditions that were carried out with the lost loved one is a bad decision as it only deepens feelings of sadness. Therefore, this can be the ideal time to establish new ones with the youngest members of the family. Remember that none of them are set in stone and that, if repeating them again causes you pain or anxiety, it is most advisable to change them.
Take a Break When Needed
Especially if it’s the first Christmas after the loss of your loved one, you may feel like you could break down at any moment. Don’t worry, as it’s normal. In this sense, our advice is to cope with the grief situation by taking a break whenever you need it. Go to the bathroom, step out onto the terrace for some fresh air, or go into the kitchen under any pretext. A few brief moments of solitude, in these types of situations, can help calm you down.
Ultimately, when the loss of loved ones has occurred during the year and the time comes to celebrate Christmas, grief intensifies. The key, beyond following the advice we have given you here, is to take it easy and let what you feel flow until you can control it and feel good again.
ISEP’s Master’s in Clinical and Health Psychology
If you work in the field of Psychology and want to delve deeper into the treatment of people who have suffered the loss of a loved one, do not hesitate to request information about the Master’s in Clinical and Health Psychology offered by ISEP.