Traditions, birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays are generally meant to be a time for celebration for some. for others, this may not be the case, especially if they have recently lost a loved one and are planning  cremation services in Kilgore, TX. It can be difficult enough to go day to day and have to process the feelings of grief, but when special occasions such as holidays arise, it can make it that much more complicated. With the expectations and memories that can come up, it’s helpful to have some self-care tips to make the process easier, so here are a few to help.

Create a Plan

One of the first things that you can do to help yourself and others around you is to have a plan in place for ways to take care of yourself when the days are more challenging. This could look like practicing more compassion or patience if the feelings are fluctuating because you might need more time, so removing some pressure can be beneficial.

If you support someone else who has lost a loved one, it may be beneficial to remind them that it’s okay to be right where they are and to offer any support if they need it.

Listen to Your Needs

When it comes to holidays, there may be so much going on, recommended to make sure that you or the individual who has gone through the loss is taking the time to express any needs. This could mean simply sitting and talking about the emotional experience of saying no to an event and creating boundaries around the festivity.

It’s not unreasonable to not want to participate in customary traditions if you have recently lost someone, so try to refrain from using self-judgment and allow your feelings to be what they are. It’s highly recommended to seek out emotional support, whether from family members or outside sources, to help express any emotions and release them.

Create a New Routine

If the deceased was involved in a large part of the planning for holiday traditions, you might want to consider delegating the tasks to other people. You could also change time-honored traditions in various ways like:

• Attending a different event than usual
• Changing a regular dinner menu for a family gathering
• Incorporating new ideas that are more based around your life now

It can be a great option to talk to other family members to see if they can introduce or remove traditions. Or you may want to keep them in place and still find a way to incorporate the loved ones into your celebration to honor them during the holiday.

Comfort and Compassion

However, you choose to celebrate your holidays will be based on what your needs are and the people around you. A vital part of honoring your loved one is finding a compassionate and caring company to work with when you need cremation services in Kilgore, TX. East Texas Funeral Home has been serving our local community since 1993 by offering affordable services for all our clients. If you’d like to schedule an appointment, we are here to help, so contact us today.