Grief & Holiday Season: Protecting Your Mental Health When You Lose a Loved One

Grief is not the easiest to navigate, especially during the holidays, but here's how to make it less difficult.

(This article was originally published in 2023 and is being republished by The Quint from its archives in observance of World Mental Health Day 2025.)

With the holiday season knocking at our doors, feelings of joy, happiness, and excitement are bound to be in the air. But while most people have positive experiences during the holidays, there is a possibility that some of us may have neutral or negative experiences during this time, especially if we have experienced the loss of a loved one.

Our thoughts about this loss can shape and colour our feelings and behavior.

The loss of a loved one, in itself, is difficult to come to terms with but during the holidays when we are surrounded with people who are happy and merry, the loss may seem even more evident and difficult to cope with.