Tips to make it through the holiday

Grieving the loss of a loved one during the holidays is difficult.

On the website www.whatsyourgrief.com, people who are also experiencing grief added to a growing list of ideas to help make it easier.

Here are 10 suggestions compiled from their ideas.

1. Light a candle at home in memory of the person who has passed away.

2. Make the person’s favorite dish for the holiday meal.

3. Decide which traditions to keep, which ones to change and add something new in his or her memory.

4. If it isn’t too depressing, leave an empty seat at the holiday table in his or her memory. If it is, then invite someone to dinner who doesn’t have family to visit with during the holiday.

5. Donate to a charity that was important to the loved one in their name or donate a holiday meal or gifts to a family in need.

6. Pick a few special items that belonged to the person and give them to friends or family who will appreciate the items.

7. Make an ornament, wreath or decoration in memory of the person.

8. Think of things to be thankful for. Make a list of them, one a day if possible. Then maybe photograph them and post them on social media.

9. Prioritize what’s really important to do over the holidays. Don’t overcommit, and make sure you drive to an event so that leaving early is an option. If need be, skip the activities that are too difficult and opt for something simpler, such as going to a movie with a friend.

10. Journal, meditate or listen to music to decompress. The list also noted that happiness can also be experienced while mourning the loss of a loved one. Being happy doesn’t lessen the love or how much a person is missed, so don’t feel guilty about it.