The holidays can be very difficult for a grieving person. Life during the holidays is forever different. You might be wondering how you can support and show love to a family member or friend that is grieving. I follow Megan Devine on social media. She is a psychotherapist, writer, grief advocate, and communication expert. She shares a lot of information and tips for grievers and for those who want to be educated on best ways to support a love one. Recently she shared some tips on how to support someone who is grieving during this holiday season.
10 Tips That Help
- Understand that it’s ok for a person to be sad (even during the holidays)
- Check your foundation
- Let the grieving person lead
- Don’t criticize how they’re handling the holidays
- Ask them what might feel good this season
- Watch your language
- Share a memory
- Invite them out to things (but don’t force it)
- Remember that people with terminally ill loved ones are also grieving
- Raise a toast to those who are not present and say their names
I encourage you to go read Megan’s blog post about what these tips look like. You can find that blog post HERE.
Big Takeaways
I think it’s easy to make supporting your loved one about you and not the person grieving. I don’t think it’s intentional but it can happen and that leaves the griever feeling worse. The big things you can take away from these tips is to understand that nothing you do is going to make your person better, don’t assume, don’t criticize, let them know you want to be with them and follow their lead.
Every person grieves differently. The best way to know how to support and love someone that is grieving is to ask them what you can do.
