First Holidays without Your Loved One

Losing someone you love is very difficult, but even more so is surviving the first Holidays without them.

The holidays are a time for families and friends to gather and celebrate. Seeing that empty chair at the dining table, where their loved one used to occupy, or doing the things you used to do together like picking up the Christmas tree and decorating the house, may be so difficult, that some people would just opt to not celebrate at all. To many the sadness and emptiness may be so hard to bear that they would prefer to curl up in a ball and despair.

Some try to be brave, accepting that life must go on,they put a smile on their face and continue with their daily routine. Others believe that their dearly departed wants them to enjoy, especially during the holidays, so they get it together and spend it just as they would before the life-changing tragedy happened.

But, how do people who grieve over the loss of their loved one enjoy the season? Especially if it is their first cycle after the passing of their loved one? Can they really enjoy the Christmas cheer? Yes, they can. It will not be easy, but yes, they can.

Here are some tips on how you can survive your first holiday without your loved ones:

1. Keep yourself busy.

Distracting yourself is one way of not thinking about your loss. Creating a schedule ahead of time is a great way of distraction. Preparing for the holidays can be stressful, and thinking about how different this time is without your loved one will make it much harder to bear and go through.

Try to plan for things you really enjoy, ether is some pamper time or night out with friends, enjoy the fun times, not just holiday errands and party preparation.

Keeping your mind and occupied and staying busy is the the best way to go through the holiday season without falling apart.

2. Make sure you have a support group.

The holidays are the most wonderful time of the year, and it is supposed to be spent with the people dear to your heart. Losing them and not being with them during this time of the year for the first time can be too much to handle, so make sure you have a group of friends or family you can call anytime for support, or some company. If you don't have family near by, try to find a support group you can join and meet with people that are going through grieving themselves and understand your pain.

3. Go out of the house; attend parties and say yes once in a while.

The natural tendency for people who have lost a loved one is to confine themselves in their comfort zones. It is human nature—they will avoid human interaction as much as possible, especially parties and events.

During the holidays, parties and gatherings are everywhere. It is important that people who are grieving over the loss of their loved ones allow themselves to enjoy and be happy—and not feel guilty about it.

Some people think that enjoying after their loss is like a crime they commit, that they are betraying their departed loved one by allowing themselves to be happy again. While in fact, they should be happy again and that's what their departed loved one would want for them. There is no universal time on how it takes to heal, but we need to try to live through our pain and stay strong.

4.Take care of yourself.

The majority of the people who grieve tends to fell into stage of depression, forget about themselves—they don't eat, wash, and stay inside their rooms for days. Grieving also takes a toll on the physical aspect of a person, not just the emotions.

Grab the opportunity of this holiday break to rebuild yourself. Go ahead and pamper yourself. Do DIY facials and baths at home. Paint your nails again, or dye your hair. Get enough sleep and eat anything you like (in moderation, of course.)

Take the break to give yourself, your body, the love it deserves. A body in grief requires more attention.

Losing someone and celebrating the holidays without them for the first time doesn't mean love has ended. You can feel the love, the happiness from your friends and family. Things may be different, not the way it feels before, but everything will be alright. Surround yourself with the ones who love you and most importantly, love you.