5 Helpful Ways to Cope With The Loss of Your Loved One During The Holidays

The holidays can be tough. Dealing with tricky family situations, or facing money issues, or even just work being more stressful are all difficult situations people have to deal with. 

But they can be even harder when we lose someone close to us.

It can be confusing to have conflicting emotions every year when the holiday rolls around again. You may have had traditions with them that make you feel sad to face, yet you are still excited about the holiday itself. 

Sadly, we will all have to face this at some point. And it’s difficult to come to terms with this truth when it happens to a loved one, especially during the holiday season.    

Having experienced this myself, and knowing how difficult it was to cope with the demise of losing a loved one two days before Christmas, I can boldly say that this experience has made me stronger and showed me that vulnerability is a strength and not a weakness.

Life is a mixture of pain and joy. It is impossible to go through life without some sort of pain. Many of us ask the same questions. 

• How can you handle the pain of losing a loved one?
• How can one move past this painful event and forge ahead even when you’re breaking?
• How can you pull yourself together after this event? 

Read this next: Grief vs. Mourning: What They Are & How to Find Power Through Both

If you’re still hurting, here are some tips to cope and come to terms with this heartbreaking reality: 

5 Ways to Help Yourself Through the Pain After the Loss of Your Loved One

1. Pour out your feelings.

After the loss of your loved one, a lot of feelings will come up, emotions are on the rise, and perhaps the uncertainty of what the future holds without this person makes these emotions even more overwhelming.

However, during this period, you don’t need to suppress what you’re feeling. It’s better to pour out your feelings instead. Cry if you need to, shout if that’s what will help you feel better or dance to shake off the negativity.  

Don’t hesitate to follow through the process of healing from the grief. Keep in mind that you can go through different stages of denial, regret, anger, pain, and depression, but don’t screw up your feelings.

Let them out and remind yourself that it’s okay not to be okay during these trying times. 

2. Reach out and surround yourself with the right support system.

During this period, there may be times when you'll wish to be alone, but it's important to have the support of a group of people around you.

Family, friends, and perhaps a counselor or therapist are important people to be around or easily accessible during your grieving process. 

This will serve as emotional support, capable of giving you the fortitude to bear the loss, thus making you less prone to experience mental health issues. 

3. Uphold their legacies, celebrate their achievements, and cherish the positive memories you had with them.

Most people have one or two laudable achievements they were proud of before they passed away.

However, to honor and respect them, you can uphold their legacies and ensure their labor is not in vain. This act will give you that sense of fulfillment and satisfaction.

There are many places you can make a donation in your loved one's name.

• Were there any causes that were close to their heart?
• Or an area where they loved to go for walks?

Look into organizations that accept donations in the names of loved ones. 

4. Find life again.

After a setback, there’s always a comeback.

You don’t need to be discouraged about what has happened, because whatever the setback you might have suffered as a result of the loss, you can, and will still bounce back and be better placed to touch lives and be the best version of yourself.

So, begin to see life again, from a positive angle, and expect that good things are coming your way, even if you feel like your world has turned upside down.  

5. Get busy with your life’s purpose. 

Some people believe we are all here for a purpose. 

You are here for a reason. You are created to achieve something worthwhile in this lifetime. You're created with exceptional potential and greatness capable of touching and impacting many lives.

Remind yourself daily about the impacts, and projects you enjoyed before your loved one passed. It's okay to try to find joy again, it doesn't mean you are forgetting your loved one.

But finding your way through life without them can be a hard path. Focusing on the things you love can help you get through this difficult time. 

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Dealing With the Loss of Your Loved One at the Holidays

There you have it.

I hope these tips above will help you bounce back and come to terms with the loss of your loved one. There’s no denying that losing a loved one is hard no matter what time of the year it is.

The sad truth about life is that it’s short and temporary. We don’t know how much time we have left and that can be a terrifying thing for some of us. This is the reason why we have to show and express our love, care and affection to those who mean the world to us before it’s too late.             

Photo by Yuris Alhumaydy on Unsplash