Deciding not to attend holiday events while grieving isn’t about saying no to people you care about—it’s about saying yes to what you need to heal. I am not Emily Post. And grief is not finishing school. But having a framework for saying no to holiday events that honors your grieving heart is a superpower that
The holiday season can be hard when you’re grieving, and if you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re definitely not alone. I created Awaken Grief Support Program because I know what it’s like to face the holidays carrying the weight of loss—my first loss happened just before Thanksgiving and forever changed my family. Since then, supporting others through this season
The key to a calm, connected holiday season lies in clear, compassionate communication. Boundaries aren’t walls—they’re pathways to peace and understanding. In a previous article, we shared 7 Tips to Cope with Difficult People and Holiday Grief, which offers practical strategies for navigating family gatherings and handling challenging personalities. In this article, we’ll dive deeper into
For those grieving, the winter holidays—from Thanksgiving through Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s—can bring mixed emotions. Honoring your needs during this time is important in finding resilience and meaning, even while mourning. A balanced approach that combines coping skills for managing sudden triggers and planned self-care for deeper emotional restoration can help support you
Grief changes the holiday landscape, but it doesn’t have to dictate it. With compassionate planning, we can find a way to honor both our loss and ourselves during this season. The holiday season is often heralded as a time of joy and togetherness, but when you’re grieving, it can transform into a stretch of weeks filled
I want to remind you of something incredibly important today: It’s okay not to feel okay.Grief is a unique and personal journey, and your holiday experience may not always align with the expectations of others. But that doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. It means you are grieving.Today – and every day for that
Even if Thanksgiving felt like a disaster, it holds valuable lessons for us. As we approach Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, we can use these experiences as a source of wisdom. Remember, navigating the holidays while grieving is all about trial and error. It’s through these trials that we discover what truly works for us, carving
In the thick of grief during the holidays, let’s cherish connection over perfection, embracing each moment as it comes with compassion for our selves and others. As the holiday season approaches, we often find ourselves swept up in a whirlwind of traditions and expectations. In my own childhood, holidays were marked by an almost competitive pursuit