Eight Tips to Get Through the Holidays after a Loved One Dies

The holidays are not necessarily a happy, merry time - especially for people whose loved one has died during the past year, or even the past several years. In fact, if you're one of multi-millions of people who suffer such a loss each year, the holidays tend to increase the feelings of grief and despair. n nOver four million people die each year in the US leaving countless loved ones engulfed in grief. If you're one of them, chances are the holidays only accentuate your sadness and sense of loss. n nAre there ways to get through Christmas, Hanukah and the New Year with minimal suffering and some level of enjoyment? Richard Ballo (www.RichardBallo.com), award-winning author of Life Without Lisa, says there are ways to make the holidays more bearable and even pleasant. n nBallo knows this journey first hand. His beloved, 38-year old wife Lisa died just weeks before Christmas. It made the first holiday season without Lisa nearly unbearable. And although he walked through that first Christmas like a Zombie, Rich (RichardBallo.com) has now found ways that helped him in subsequent years and can help you have a far more positive experience.n n"I didn't think I could make it through that first Christmas without Lisa, I swear I didn't. But somehow I did. I just wish I had known at least some of the eight tips I know now. It would have helped me and my two little boys."nnHere are Rich's (RichardBallo.com) tried and true tips to get through the holidays after suffering the death of a loved one:nn1. Turn to Hospice for help. Hospice is not only for the dying, but for the living as well. Hospice provides individual and group counseling for those left behind.nn2. Keep your expectations for yourself and the holidays reasonable. Don't put undue pressure on yourself by "demanding" that you act and feel a certain way. Things will be different and probably not as merry as before - at least for awhile. But you can experience some degree of happiness and enjoyment.nn3. Feel your feelings. Don't stuff them down. Cry and feel sad. But don't allow them to engulf you. Have a list of things written down that you can do that will help you feel better - watch a funny movie, listen to uplifting music, play your favorite sport, mediate, take a bubble bath, engage in your absolutely favorite hobby. nn4. Do something for someone else. Serve Christmas dinner at a soup kitchen or sing carols in a nursing home. Get outside of yourself and your own miseries and bring joy to others. In turn, it will bring tremendous joy to you.nn5. Surround yourself with supportive, loving people. If you're with your family, wrap yourself in their love and caring.nn6. Give yourself a break. Don't feel like you have to make the holidays happen for others. Pass the baton to someone else with zero guilt. Let someone else cook the turkey and clean up the kitchen. Be a pampered person!nn7. Reminisce with family and friends. Talk about your loved one and share memories with others. Let laughter and happy times return as your loved one's life.nn8. Journal, journal, journal. Write out your feelings and thoughts; commit them to paper. It is a remarkably healing process, with scientific research behind it, that should be continued throughout the holidays and well beyond.