1. Give yourself permission to mourn. You may feel anger, sadness, loneliness or guilt and a variety of mixed emotions. These feelings are normal and may be stronger during the holiday season.
2. Do what feels right for you. If you recently lost a loved one, you may not feel like celebrating. Or you may want to be around friends and family to share memories of your loved one. Some people find gatherings a pleasant distraction and want to carry on enjoyable traditions that honor their loved ones.
3. Avoid isolation and seek support. Having supportive friends and family that will let you talk about your feelings without judgement is important. There are support groups that you can join to help you with these feelings and if needed, professional counseling is helpful.
4. Honor your loved ones by sharing special memories, making their favorite foods, and carrying on special traditions. Passing along family stories and traditions to the younger generations has value, as they may want to continue these traditions in their own families.
5. If you have younger children in your family, focus on their activities that bring joy. Holidays are often times for baking special recipes, attending holiday presentations at schools or places of worship, and children enjoy being included in festivities.
6. Some people find enjoyment by giving to others in the holiday season. Whether it be financial support or the gift of your time and talents to a particular organization or religious community, this allows you to focus on the needs of others for a time.
7. Take care of yourself. Try to get enough restful sleep, eat healthy meals and find time for relaxation and fun.
8. Manage your schedule. You may want to reduce the number of activities you did in the past or attend activities but may want to leave earlier. Or do new activities and make new memories. Whatever you decide, know your limitations and do whatever feels right for you.