GRAND RAPIDS CHARTER TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The winter holidays are usually dubbed the most wonderful time of the year, but for those grieving a loved one, the days are often a reminder of who is missing from the dinner table.
Janet Jaymin, bereavement manager at Faith Hospice, said due to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), winter can be a difficult time for many and Michigan's high rates of SAD combined with the rush of holiday events can make coping with grief even more difficult.
"Holidays are a very hard time for people who are grieving. People who just recently lost someone, this just changes their entire life," she said.
Jaymin said it often doesn't matter if a grieving individual has family, friends, significant others, etc. as a support system. They often feel that there is a hole that can't be filled.
"If you have someone who’s been married for 50 years and then all of a sudden that person is no longer with them, there’s a hole there and they can’t fill that. It’s like what do I do now? What I hear from people is that others don’t understand that," she explained.
Faith Hospice gives these suggestions for people coping with loss this holiday season:
- Get plenty of fresh air, exercise, sleep and food
- Focus on self-care
- Set up boundaries with friends
- Allow your emotions to emerge
Jaymin said it's important to stay true to your emotions over the holidays and reminds people it's OK to laugh or cry.
"Laughter is a great medicine, and sometimes people will catch themselves laughing and then they'll stop, because they think that they shouldn't be. And they start feeling guilty. But, it's OK to talk about positive stories, fun stories about your loved one. Share that with other people...It's OK for tears too...I like people to remember that tears are a gift of comfort from Christ," she said.
Faith Hospice encourages others to take a step back with the season and consider their grieving loved ones.
"When everyone's having a good time, they often forget about that person who's just had a major loss and isn't feeling the same. I think sometimes we just have to step back and look at others and know that their experience at this time could be different," Jaymin said.
For more information on Faith Hospice and grief support, click here.
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