SPECIAL days are especially difficult when you are grieving. | KHA RUXURY Pexels
Getting through the holidays when you’re
DEALING WITH GRIEF GRIEVING the loss of a loved one during the holiday season is extra difficult, as it’s typically a time filled with joyous family reunions. From wrapping presents for one less person to enjoying wholesome home-made meals with an empty seat at the table, when the family are all together for the holidays the absence of a loved one’s presence is often that much greater. Sharing insight on the subject, Counselling Psychologist, Rakhi Beekrum said that she is used to witnessing grief within her profession. “However, I have witnessed more grief in 2021 than
Sasha van Niekerk I have in all my years of practice combined (that’s 12 long years).” There’s also the matter of people who grieving their “old-selves” and are coming to terms with the loss of who they were as a person in pre-Covid times. “People are dealing with mourning the loss of ‘normal’ routines, missed celebrations, missed holidays, loss of employment as well as financial losses,” she said. For Beekrum, understanding that grief is a process that needs
to be worked through is one of the first steps towards navigating your journey towards healing. “Not allowing ourselves to process grief can exacerbate our negative emotions. If we avoid truly acknowledging our feelings, crying when we need to and allowing ourselves to feel the pain of the loss, the holidays will be much harder,” she said. While tremendous sadness at the unexpected loss of a parent or loved one can be overwhelming, it isn’t often the only emotion we experience. There is sometimes a sense of guilt and shame that
