Grief is always difficult to get through, but it can be especially tough during the holiday season. This is a time when loved ones get together and not having one of them there can be highly stressful. If you are worried about the approaching holidays and you want to know some coping strategies that you can turn to, there are a few effective ones. Here are the ones that directors of funeral homes in Philadelphia, PA want you to know about.
It is crucial that you allow yourself to feel whatever you are feeling. Many times, people try to put on a brave face for loved ones and this can be an issue. You are not allowing your mind to process the loss in a healthy manner. If you need to cry, then let yourself do this without fear or worry. Your loved ones will understand.
You can also do something in your loved one’s honor during the holiday season. If they volunteered at shelters, why not do the same? If they enjoyed going to the theater or going to see a movie, you can do that in memory of them. Something as simple as that can be effective when navigating the holidays.
Another thing that you want to remember is to create new holiday traditions. One of the issues that people have when dealing with a death during the holidays is that there are many holidays traditions that will include the person, and this can bring sadness. That is why it is a good idea to create new traditions. This does not mean that you have to forget the person, only that you allow yourself to celebrate the holidays in a different manner.
You want to allow yourself to have fun. This is something else that people struggle with when they are dealing with grief during the holidays. People tend to feel guilty at having fun and enjoying themselves, but that is not something that you should worry about. Your mind needs rest from the grief, and this can mean allowing yourself to go to celebrations, to laugh and have fun.
It is always appropriate to say no to invitations if you need to. Many times, people feel guilty about not accepting invitations to events or celebrations, but it can be tough to go if you are not ready. If you feel like you cannot handle attending a party of event, let your loved ones know and they will understand.
By considering all of these things, you can make sure that you can get through the holidays without too much added stress. You have to allow yourself to have a bit of fun, if you want to, and not to feel guilty if you find that you are enjoying yourself. Your loved one would have wanted that for you. You can also honor their memory by reaching out to do something they would have loved, like donating to a charity. If you want to know more about how to best get through the holidays when working through a loss, you can reach out to a Philadelphia, PA funeral home like us. We are ready to answer any questions you may have about the process of grieving. You can stop by or you can give us a call.