Today we’re talking about some things we can do to survive the holidays when we are feeling sad and grieving.
This episode of Change It Up Radio is the second part of our special Grief and the Holidays series. This subject is very near and dear to my heart because it can be very lonely and agonizing when you’re hurting at this time of year. Grief on its own is difficult enough, but it can be magnified when the holidays roll around, and everyone else is so happy and festive.
If you’re grieving a loss of some sort right now, you’re likely riddled with memories of fonder times when things felt happier, and you may be thinking, “What on earth do I do now? How do I feel better?”
It’s hard to imagine that these feelings of sadness and emptiness will ever fade, and celebrating the holidays the same way you have in the past may just not be possible right now. That’s okay. Today, I’m going to be talking about my Holiday Survival Checklist and sharing several helpful tips for those who are grieving and going through some kind of heavy emotional pain at this time of year.
“Emotions are energy in motion, and they’re meant to be expressed. We don’t want to keep them inside because if we push them down, they fester and may create a physical or emotional problem that could jeopardize our health. Get those feelings out with safe people in a safe situation.” – Paula Shaw
About Paula:

Paula Shaw was Certified by the Grief Recovery Institute’s Program through Loyola Marymount University as a Grief Recovery Specialist. She has been helping grieving people for over 28 years, using mind/body techniques to guide them through the discomfort of change and challenge, eliminating stress, depression, anxiety, weight gain, relationship distress, career challenges, a lack of energy, and self-destructive, addictive behavior.
These tools bypass the conscious mind–which is often rendered useless when emotions overwhelm us–and they work directly with the subconscious mind to shift problematic thinking, feelings, and behaviors that can result. Through these methods, it is possible to feel a sense of power and control in your life in a very short time.
Paula helps individuals regain successful lives by quickly identifying and eliminating self-sabotaging behavior and limiting beliefs by uncovering and addressing their core issues. Working with a wide variety of healing modalities, she provides her clients with the most effective processes for their specific needs. Because every person has unique challenges, this customized approach is critical to their success.
Paula is also the author of Chakras, the Magnificent Seven, which is a primer to the Chakra System and how to use it for greater health and healing, Grief… When Will This Pain Ever End?, which looks at loss and grief and provides practical, simple articles, processes, and exercises to help a grieving person move through their pain and back into joyful living, and her latest book, Saying the Right Thing When You Don’t Know What to Say, which is a guide to navigating difficult conversations that provides five steps to creating helpful, healing conversations.
If you are experiencing issues that feel overwhelming and you think that you might need help to overcome them, Paula offers a complimentary 20-minute consult that you can book on her website www.PaulaShaw.com, or contact her at (858)-480-9234.
“If you need anybody’s permission to cut back this year, to give yourself a break, to nurture yourself, I am officially saying, please do that for yourself. You’re absolved of any guilt. This is like a doctor’s prescription. Give yourself a break. Take some time for you, whatever that looks like.” – Paula Shaw
Check out the video of this episode below:
Resources Mentioned:
- Get your free gift: The Holiday Survival Checklist
- Grief…When Will This Pain Ever End?: A Guide to Finding Your Way Out of the Depths of Despair After Suffering Profound Grief and Loss by Paula Shaw
- Watch Paula’s Balanced Breathing video on YouTube
- Listen to Change It Up Radio Episode #123: “A World of Grievers” with Paula Shaw
- Listen to Change It UP Radio Episode #183: “Grief and the Holidays” with Paula Shaw and Ellen McCarty
- The “All There Is” podcast with Anderson Cooper
- Learn More About Host Paula Shaw
- If you have any questions or would like to book a session, contact Paula at (626)-864-0756
- Email Paula at PShawLight@gmail.com
- Check out Paula Shaw’s YouTube Channel
- Get Paula’s FREE GIFT: “20 Things to Say and Not to Say” Guide
- Saying The Right Thing When You Don’t Know What To Say
- Grief… When Will This Pain Ever End?: A Guide to Finding Your Way Out of the Depths of Despair After Suffering Profound Loss
- Chakras, The Magnificent Seven
- Paula Shaw on Facebook
- LifeWave.com/SafeHealth
- The Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP)
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