Some of us have lost loved ones around this time of year, making the celebration of the holiday season especially difficult. The OSF Hospice program, a part of OSF Home Care Services, has a wonderful series of helpful booklets entitled, “Messages of Hope,” which includes “Befriending Grief During the Holidays,” a special guide to handling holiday grief.
Some excellent suggestions to help yourself, or others, deal with the stress and emotion of holiday grief during these holy days and holidays include:
- Start new traditions… maybe someone else will carve the turkey or put the star on top of the Christmas tree.
- Be gentle with yourself… don’t expect too much of yourself or others.
- Talk…do this as much or as little as YOU need to. In helping someone else with their grief, don’t just say, “Call me if you need anything.” Instead, call and offer specific assistance such as, “I’m going to bring over a casserole tomorrow evening” or “I’m going shopping for Christmas cards, would you like me to yours as well?”
There are additional suggestions in this booklet for dealing with holiday grief and others that you can order online for free.
Last Updated: January 13, 2022