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Emotional Health

Bereavement Emotional Health Hospice December 22, 2025

The holidays can feel impossibly heavy when you’re grieving the loss of a loved one. While others move on with celebrations and traditions, your grief may feel closer to the surface. If you’re struggling to get through this season, know that your grief is valid and you don’t have to pretend to be in the holiday spirit.  

Why Grief Feels Stronger During the Holidays 

Grief during the holidays often carries an added weight. Familiar traditions highlight who’s missing, and gatherings can feel incomplete. The expectation to be joyful can make your sadness feel even more isolating. When you’re coping with loss during the holidays, give yourself permission to feel exactly what you feel is the first step toward healing. 

12 Practical Ways to Cope with Grief During the Holidays 

1. Give Yourself Permission to Feel 

There’s no “right” way to grieve. You may cry one moment and laugh the next. Both are ok. Feeling joy doesn’t mean you’ve forgotten your loved one, and feeling sadness doesn’t mean you’re failing to cope.  

 2. Modify Traditions 

You don’t have to keep every tradition exactly the same. Hold on to what brings comfort and let go of what feels too painful. Even small changes, adjusting activities, changing the timing, or altering the food, can make the holidays feel more manageable. Small changes can ease the weight of missing your loved one during the holidays. 

3. Set Realistic Expectations 

 You don’t have to pretend to be ok during the holidays. It’s ok to skip the office party or stay longer than you can handle. Protecting your emotional energy isn’t selfish; it’s part of dealing with grief. 

4. Communicate Your Needs Clearly 

People want to support you, but often don’t know how. Let them know what feels supportive and what doesn’t. Simple requests can help others show up in ways that feel respectful and meaningful.  

5. Honor Their Memory Intentionally 

Finding a way to acknowledge your loved one can bring comfort. Lighting a candle during dinner, sharing stories, or making a donation in their name allows space for remembrance without forcing celebration.  

6. Plan Ahead for Difficult Moments 

Anticipate when your grief might hit the hardest and decide in advance how you’ll handle those moments. Maybe step outside for some air during the toast at midnight or simply express your emotions in the moment. Having a plan helps when emotions feel too much. 

7. Take Care of Your Physical Health 

Grief can be exhausting, especially during a busy season. Prioritize sleep, eating healthy meals when you can, and moving your body gently. Caring for your body supports your ability to cope emotionally. 

8. Limit Social Media if Needed 

Seeing other people’s holiday celebrations online can increase your feelings of loss. Taking a break from social media or logging off entirely can help protect your emotional well-being.  

9. Find Meaningful Ways to Give Back 

Some people find purpose by volunteering, donating to a cause their loved one cared about, or helping someone else in need. Service doesn’t erase the pain, but it can provide meaningful moments during a difficult season. 

10. Connect with Others Who Understand 

Isolation can make grief feel heavier during the holiday season. Reaching out to friends, family, or a grief support group can remind you that you’re not alone. When you’re missing a loved one, talking with someone who truly understands can be deeply comforting. 

11. Create a Grief Plan for the Day 

Keeping to a routine helps when emotions feel chaotic. Create a balance between social commitments and alone time. Knowing what comes next can reduce anxiety during unpredictable holiday grief. 

12. Remember That the Season Will End 

The holidays will not last forever, and neither will the sharp pain of loss. Getting through the holiday season after loss is an accomplishment all by itself. Be gentle with yourself as you navigate the coming weeks. 

Don’t Navigate Holiday Grief Alone 

If you’re struggling with grief during the holidays, support is available. Residential Hospice offers free bereavement services, not just to families of our patients, but to anyone in our community experiencing loss. Our compassionate team offers grief counseling, support groups, and resources to help you cope. Contact us to learn more about our grief services. 

Emotional Health

Bereavement Emotional Health Hospice December 18, 2025

When a child loses someone they love, their grief can show up differently than how it shows up in adults. One moment, they could be quietly sad, the next playing or laughing as if nothing happened. Children process grief differently because their world is still growing and changing. They’re learning how to handle big feelings, and they need gentle guidance, consistency, and a safe space to express their feelings. Programs like Residential’s Blue Elephant Children’s Grief Services offer tools and experiences to help kids navigate their emotions in a healthy way. 

How Children Process Grief 

Children experience and process grief differently at each stage of development. Younger children may have a hard time understanding that a loved one is permanently gone. They may assume a loved one will come back or worry they somehow caused it. School-age children start to understand the lasting impact of loss but can have trouble expressing the emotions they feel. This can show up as anger, clinginess, withdrawal, changes in appetite, or trouble sleeping. Teens usually understand the reality of loss but wrestle with intense emotions, independence, and identity. All of these are natural reactions when dealing with grief.   

How to Talk to Kids About Death 

One of the hardest parts of dealing with loss is knowing what to say, especially to children. Kids need honesty in a language they can understand. It’s best to avoid phrases like ‘we lost him’ or ‘she’s gone’ because they can create confusion or fear. Answer their questions as openly and honestly as you can. Reassurance, patience, and listening are powerful tools to help kids understand what’s happening. 

Signs a Child Needs Grief Support 

It can be tough to tell whether a child is coping or simply ignoring their feelings. Paying attention to changes in behavior or mood can signal that they may need additional help. Some of these behavior changes include: 

  • Becoming unusually quiet or withdrawn 
  • Showing increased worries or anxiety 
  • Experiencing emotional outbursts or increased irritability 
  • Struggling to focus 

If you notice a child is struggling with grief, it’s important to talk with their teachers, coaches, or other adults in their life and let them know what’s happening. They can provide additional support and accommodation to help them feel understood.  

Residential Hospice’s Grief Services for Children 

Residential Hospice recognizes the special skill and time needed to help kids deal with loss, which is why we provide specialized grief services for children that meets them where they are. Our grief and bereavement team incorporates age-appropriate activities, therapeutic play, and compassionate guidance to help children make sense of loss.  

Small girl at children's grief camp.

The Blue Elephant Project helps children name and process their emotions, using a blue elephant plushie and feelings cards designed to make difficult emotions understandable and manageable. A matching adult guide provides useful information to help children cope with death and heal. 

At Residential Hospice, we also offer summer Blue Elephant children’s grief camps in Illinois and Michigan where kids can connect with other children experiencing loss through art, music, and memory-making activities. 

Women playing guitars at children's grief camp

Helping Children Heal After the Loss of a Loved One 

Grief doesn’t follow a timeline, so the best support happens when you meet them where they are. Residential Hospice’s children’s grief services, including the Blue Elephant Project and Children’s Grief Camps, provide a safe space, compassionate guidance, and age-appropriate activities to help kids process the loss of a loved one. With consistent support, children can navigate grief while feeling understood, supported, and cared for.