Coping with Christmas

December 15, 2023

The month of December can be a mixture of emotions for many of us, excitement, fear, joy, dread, happiness and sadness.

Christmas can be a challenge in so many ways, think about reaching out and checking in with others affected by death and/or grief. Ways to help a grieving friend at Christmas | Help 2 Make Sense – This article gives some advice from a support worker at Winston’s Wish and some of the youth team who have shared what would have helped them during the festive season.

Acknowledge that this time of year can be difficult
Ask them if they want to talk about their grief or not
Check in with their wellbeing and offer support
It will feel different around Christmas without the loved one around, but it is okay to have ups and downs during this time.
Let them know they don’t need to send a long reply, just a simple ‘ok’ or emoji
Talk about their person if they want to
Reassure them it’s okay to cancel or change plans
Be there and/or listen
Get help – Winston’s Wish are here to help! We offer one-to-one and group grief support sessions. You can call us on 08088 020 021 or email ask@winstonswish.org.

Check useful documents below:

Grieving at Christmas | Advice and Support | Winston’s Wish (winstonswish.org)

Tips on coping with grief at Christmas from other grieving young people | Help 2 Make Sense

How to manage your grief during the Christmas season | Help 2 Make Sense

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