{"id":1584,"date":"2023-12-21T11:27:51","date_gmt":"2023-12-21T16:27:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unified.co.grant.wi.gov\/?p=1584"},"modified":"2023-12-21T11:28:09","modified_gmt":"2023-12-21T16:28:09","slug":"experiencing-grief-during-this-holiday-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unified.co.grant.wi.gov\/index.php\/2023\/12\/21\/experiencing-grief-during-this-holiday-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Experiencing Grief This Holiday Season?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re dealing with loss this holiday season, please read the article below by Kristen Carpenter, PhD. The link to the full article is below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“If this is your first holiday season after the death of a loved one, you might be grappling with whether you should carry on traditions while grieving. And guess what? It\u2019s perfectly normal and important to give yourself some grace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let yourself feel the way you feel<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Feelings are facts. Everyone copes with loss in their own way. Your emotional responses to loss are valid and are part of your unique healing process. Don\u2019t waste energy on feeling ashamed or guilty about your feelings; invest that energy in making concrete efforts to feel better and heal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be open to adjusting your holiday traditions<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first holiday after the passing of a loved one is often the hardest, especially if the loss is unexpected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a loved one is lost, some families find comfort in the familiar and incorporate a time of remembrance into their holiday celebrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others find the usual traditions too painful, especially if the loss occurred recently. If this is the case, it can be helpful to celebrate the holiday in an entirely different way and consider resuming traditions when you\u2019re ready. You might find it helpful to change the location of a celebration and consider taking a trip or visiting a family member in a different city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some prefer to be alone in their grief, and that\u2019s okay too. Simply explain your need to your family and friends, who\u2019ll likely care and understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Incorporate a time of remembrance into your holidays<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How you celebrate the life of someone who died is unique to you, depending on what the person meant to you and how you feel comfortable commemorating your relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are a few ideas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have those gathered together share a story or memory of the person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Light a candle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plant a flower or tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visit the person\u2019s grave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Say special prayers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep photos close; for instance, wear a photo of the person in a locket or keep a picture with you during a special event you wish the person could have attended, such as a religious ceremony or wedding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t hesitate to seek support from others and don\u2019t be afraid to accept help. Here are some easy ways to make sure your family and friends can help in the most meaningful ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lead the way in letting people know what you need<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be clear about whether you prefer to grieve privately, with the support of close friends or with a wide circle of people accessible through social networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip for friends: Don\u2019t take to social media to offer support, particularly if someone who\u2019s experienced loss isn\u2019t communicating publicly online. This could lead to you sharing something personal that the person prefers not to share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask a friend to set up a meal train<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People love to bring food, but nobody needs three lasagnas on the same day. Online tools make meals easy to coordinate, so this doesn\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t be afraid to ask for food you can freeze \u2014 this can be especially helpful for a parent who\u2019s handling the death of a spouse while raising children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Write down what you need (the \u201cnotecard method\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cnotecard method\u201d will save you from trying to think of something in the moment and make your life easier when asked by a supportive friend, \u201cWhat do you need?\u201d or \u201cHow can I help?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how it works:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sit down and make a list of what you need, including things for tangible and emotional support. Things like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holiday or grocery shopping<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Food preparation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wrapping gifts<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Household chores, like cleaning, mowing or maintenance<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get a stack of notecards and write down one item on each card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When people ask how they can help, hand them a note card or have them choose something they feel they can do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There isn\u2019t one right way to deal with grief during the holidays<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone copes differently and you\u2019ll find ways that are easier or more helpful for you than others. Allow yourself to feel the emotions, listen to yourself during this time and seek help if you need it. Taking care of yourself, sharing memories and being surrounded by supportive people are a few great ways to get through this time, but you\u2019ll have to decide which methods work best for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: https:\/\/health.osu.edu\/…\/ment…\/grief-during-the-holidays<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you’re dealing with loss this holiday season, please read the article below by Kristen Carpenter, PhD. The link to the full article is below. “If this is your first holiday season after the death of a loved one, you might be grappling with whether you should carry on traditions while grieving. And guess what? … Continue reading “Experiencing Grief This Holiday Season?”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[81,207,8,4,10,7,82,9],"tags":[15,21,91,17,16,6,51,37,20,34],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false,"post-thumbnail":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Ben Biddick","author_link":"https:\/\/unified.co.grant.wi.gov\/index.php\/author\/bbiddick\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"If you’re dealing with loss this holiday season, please read the article below by Kristen Carpenter, PhD. The link to the full article is below. “If this is your first holiday season after the death of a loved one, you might be grappling with whether you should carry on traditions while grieving. And guess what?…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unified.co.grant.wi.gov\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1584"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unified.co.grant.wi.gov\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unified.co.grant.wi.gov\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unified.co.grant.wi.gov\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unified.co.grant.wi.gov\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1584"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/unified.co.grant.wi.gov\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1584\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1587,"href":"https:\/\/unified.co.grant.wi.gov\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1584\/revisions\/1587"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unified.co.grant.wi.gov\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unified.co.grant.wi.gov\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1584"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unified.co.grant.wi.gov\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}