Grief is a deeply painful, lonely, and isolating experience.
The holiday season can bring about difficult memories and emotions, regardless if your loss was recent or long ago.
Grief is the normal and natural reaction to loss of any kind. When someone we care about dies, our relationship ends in divorce, we have a loss of health, or we experience any of the other 40 forms of loss, we often feel unprepared and ill-equipped to deal with our emotions.
Among the many normal reactions we experience after loss include,
emotional and physical exhaustion,
loss of energy and motivation,
reduced concentration and focus,
numbness,
isolation,
changes in eating and sleeping, and
a rollercoaster of emotional energy
Sadly, a majority of us have not been taught how to heal our emotional pain after loss.
Instead, we are told to “move on”, “keep busy”, “be strong”, “wait for time to heal” and eventually, “get over it”. This misinformation may further isolate us in our pain and make navigating the holiday season even more challenging.
With the desire to bring our community together and cultivate a space that is safe to have a conversation about navigating grief through the holidays, our Founder and CEO, Ashley Mielke, is honoured to facilitate this conversation over a 90-minute virtual session on Tuesday, December 20th at 7:00pm MT.
The first hour of the session will address:
What grief is
The various types of loss that can be grief-inducing
The normal and natural symptoms of grief
The myths of grief
Tips and tools for navigating grief through the holidays including how to process grief, prioritize self-care, and set healthy boundaries
Ways to be intentional about bringing joy and meaning to the holidays
The last half-hour of the session will be a Q&A. This will give you an opportunity to ask Ashley any questions about how to address specific circumstances you are facing at this time.
Register for your online ticket on Eventbrite HERE. *100% of donations will be made to the Hope Mission in support of their annual Christmas Campaign. $2.70 will provide a complete Christmas dinner for the hurting and hungry.
In Love and Service,
The Grief and Trauma Healing Centre