Today we’re talking about how to get through the holiday season when you’re struggling with sadness and grief.

 

I’ve spent many years working with grieving people, and I know that one of the hardest times for them can be the holiday season. So, what is it about the holidays that can be so difficult for someone that’s going through grief, loss, or sadness of any kind?

Well, one of the biggest contributing factors is that the holidays are all about joy. When you’re feeling sad, and possibly grieving the loss of a loved one or a big change in your life, you feel isolated and even defective. You don’t know what to do or how to relate to those around you that all seem so happy.

Today, I’d like to discuss some of the things that you can do if you are dealing with sadness during the holidays and share some strategies that can help you or your loved ones with growing through the holidays rather than just getting through them.

 

We Discuss:

  • Why the holiday season is an especially difficult time of year for people that are grieving
  • Helping ourselves and others to heal and cope with grief and the many upheavals of life
  • Strategies for growing through the holiday season rather than just pushing through it
  • Focusing on self-care, moving at a pace that feels good, and making yourself a priority
  • Being easy on yourself and taking shortcuts to help deal with hard and draining emotions
  • Expressing and releasing emotions rather than pushing them down and ignoring them
  • Being authentic to yourself, honoring your energy level, and acknowledging your needs

 

“Let’s all have our holiday hearts be open, and not only to helping ourselves and maybe healing ourselves, but also helping others who are less fortunate than we are, or who are going through some of those upheavals that come along in life.”  –  Paula Shaw

 

Grief doesn’t have to be a life sentence. In my book, Grief… When Will This Pain Ever End?: A Guide to Finding Your Way Out of the Depths of Despair After Suffering Profound Loss, you will find a combination of informative articles, a collection of online videos, and practical exercises you can use right away in your recovery process.

When we are going through a great loss, it can seem like it will never end; the only thing we want is to stop feeling the pain. Of course, right now the world around you might still look very dark and barren. Gradually, you will see there IS light at the end of this tunnel as you read and apply what you will learn in this guidebook for grief recovery.

 

 

“If during this celebration season, you are not in a very celebratory place, just be real. Be where you are and who you are, because you’re already at a low energy state and it takes a lot of energy to pretend. It takes a lot of energy to go ahead and go to all those activities because people expect you to. And maybe that’s not in your highest good at all. Whatever you need to do, give that to yourself. Self-care is critical, especially at this time of year.”  –  Paula Shaw

 

Resources Mentioned:

 

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Check out the video below to watch our live interview: