If your family has experienced the death of someone you love, the holidays can be an especially difficult time. Here are five simple suggestions to make his holiday season a bit easier.
- There is no “right way” to celebrate a holiday. Allowing everyone in the family to feel whatever they are feeling, whenever they are feeling it, is the best holiday gift you can give each other.
- Keep the old favorites, but also make some new traditions. Lighting a candle, setting a place at the table or sharing memories out loud can honor the person who has died.
- Say “no” when you need to. Saying no to invitations, hosting or other things you may typically feel pressure to do can free up some much-needed emotional energy, allowing you to enjoy the things you really do want to do.
- Focus on gratitude. Balancing grief with gratitude can ease the stress of the season.
- Create purpose. Helping others can be a great way to cope with grief.
Experience Camps are free, one-week camps for children who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling or primary caregiver. To learn more or to give the gift of camp to a grieving child, visit Experience.Camp.
