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| Welcome to Week 1 of the Holiday Countdown!
If you are like me, I imagine you can’t believe it's already November. Where did this year go? If you are new to grief and the holidays, I am glad you are here. This may be your second or tenth holiday without your loved one. You are also in the right place.
My hope for you is that this Holiday Countdown Calendar will allow you to reduce the hustle and find some peace this holiday. Grief is especially amplified during the holidays. There are so many memories, traditions, family gatherings and extra responsibilities that surface this time of year. I wanted you to have the support of someone who has been there.
I am Jody LaVoie, grief and loss expert, widow, mom, widow coach. I am a firm believer that your loss does not need to define you. You can fall in love with your life again. If you would like to learn more about my widow journey, please click here.
I want to encourage you to dust off your journal if you have not been using one. With all of the emotions that surface, a journal is a perfect place to let those feelings out. If you are glossing over this and saying, "I don’t have time for that," I want to assure you that I said the same thing until I started doing it. Journaling became a game changer for advancing my growth. I start every morning with journaling.
Most importantly, take care of yourself. I will talk more about that and how to do that in future weeks.
Together, we've got this.
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On to the nitty gritty of the week. Here is what I would like you to think about this week: |
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| November 8:
Share your intention. I am hopeful that you have enlisted the support of others in your grief journey. You can not do this alone. This could be friends, co-workers, family, therapists, a coach, grief groups, etc. Think of these people as your Widow Board of Directors. As a widow, we have lost the one person who was our go-to. It is important to find that person who you can share with, who can help with tasks and who has your back. This is especially important now. I have created a document to help you think through who is on your Widow Board of Directors. Here is a link to that document so you can explore more.
Now on to the sharing part of your intention. Sharing your intention as a widow is like letting a trusted friend in on your game plan. It's important for a few reasons. First off, it helps you stay on track. When you put it out there, it's like making a promise to yourself, and it's harder to let it slide. Plus, it opens up the door for support. Others can rally around you, offer advice, or just be there to cheer you on. You'd be surprised how much of a boost that can be. You may want to even sit down with your children, if you have them, to talk about the holidays and how stressful and emotional this time will be for you and them. |
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