Losing someone close to you is never easy, and the emotions that come with grief can be magnified when it comes to important celebrations such as christmas. I, unfortunately have first hand knowledge of this, as sadly in November of this year I lost my Nan. As I have been struggling to deal with this I thought I could help others by sharing what I have been doing to help myself get through this difficult time of year.
Since I can remember, I’ve been lucky to have a very close-knit family, and was also very lucky to have my grandparents play a very prominent role in my upbringing. These are both factors that I find myself feeling very grateful for at times like these, as I have years of memories the cherish and reminisce over when I find myself missing my grandparents.
I have recently found a few things that seemed to have helped in putting the overwhelming feelings of loss and sadness at bay. For instance, listening to certain songs and looking through photographs help to feel a connection to the person that you’ve lost.
Another way in which I help myself in these difficult times is by talking to other family members and also friends who have or are suffering a similar loss. Talking about your problems isn’t always easy but it is one of the best ways to feel some sort of relief and get them off your mind.