Navigating the Holidays After a Loss

Key takeaways

• Navigating the Holiday After a Loss

Navigating the Holiday After a Loss

The holidays are often a time of peace and joy, for gathering with family and friends and enjoying one another’s company. But this can also be a period of great sorrow for those who have lost a loved one. Navigating the holiday after a loss is a difficult and emotional journey, and we’re here to guide you through. MHCS offers paths for coping that can help during this season of grieving.

Holiday celebrations may be especially tough if you don’t feel like celebrating. Losing a close friend or family member hurts on so many levels and acknowledging that pain is part of the healing process. Even if most of those around you are jovial, it’s okay and genuinely valid to not feel festive. Allow yourself to feel every emotion – the good, the bad, and everything in between.

And, yes – it is acceptable for you to experience happiness, even in this time of despair. If you need to cry, let it out. If you feel like smiling, please do. Everyone’s grieving process is different, and there is no wrong way to feel when someone is missing from your life.

Think of ways to honor your loved one and make his or her memory part of this year’s holiday. Hang up their seasonal décor for a family gathering and share memories of holidays past. Maybe your grandmother baked cookies or served a specific dish each year; those ideas can be replicated by you or another family member to carry on the legacy. If your favorite uncle loved carols, start singing and encourage others to join in.

Set a place at the table for your absent loved one or light a candle in their memory. Look at old photographs with family or friends and reminisce about earlier times and celebrations. Sharing as a group helps you and others work through the grief and provides a common circle of support.

Practical next steps

For many people, holidays after loss is easier to address when the next step is small and specific. Start by naming what has changed, noticing what helps even a little, and choosing one supportive action you can repeat this week.

Helpful steps may include writing down symptoms or patterns, talking with a trusted person, adjusting sleep or daily routines, reducing avoidable stressors, and scheduling therapy when concerns keep returning or start interfering with daily life.

When to reach out

If symptoms are affecting relationships, work, school, sleep, or daily routines, professional support can help you sort through what is happening and choose a realistic next step.

MHCS provides therapy and mental health support for individuals, couples, families, teens, and adults.