Coping with Grief on Valentine’s Day - How to honor your loved one and care for yourself on this holiday for lovers

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Holidays can be some of the toughest times to cope with grief. Valentine’s Day in particular, already perpetuating a feeling of loneliness in anyone who doesn’t have a significant other to celebrate with, can shine a spotlight on the loss of a spouse or significant other, no matter how much time has passed. Here are a few tips for coping with grief and honoring loved ones during this time.

1. Connecting with the loved ones you still have with you can help you feel less alone. Kati Rice at Hello Grief describes how purchasing gifts for her friends, in reaction to grief for her father, helps her find comfort.

2. Create a plan before the holiday hits, so you’ll know what to do with your time. You don’t want to be blindsided by the holiday,  Gloria Lloyd explained to PsychCentral, left home while everyone around you enjoys special dates and time with friends and loved ones. Schedule a date with friends or family — or even a new love — so you’re not alone with your grief.

3. Share stories of your romance with your children, suggests the Good Grief Center via CBS. Sharing tales and pictures with kids allows you to re-live your memories, and honors your loved one by sharing their romantic side.

4. Find comfort in animal companions. A little cuddling or playing with pets can be a great comfort when you’re lonely! Pay extra attention to your pets tomorrow, or volunteer for a shift at the local animal shelter.

5. Express yourself. Marty Tousley at Self-Healing Expressions suggests ways to honor and remember your lost loved on Valentine’s Day. Try these methods of self-expression to keep your loved one close on this special day, if you don’t want to “let go” of the memory:

• Write, if that’s how you express yourself. Journal about your feelings, write a letter to your loved one, or write a poem or story to remember your feelings and experiences.
• Donate a book on coping with loss to your local library, with a special note inside to show it’s in memory of your loved one.
• Create a memorial by decorating and lighting a special candle, or light a virtual candle online.
• Choose a Valentine’s card or gift that you wish your loved might have bought for you, and give it to yourself in honor of them.

Read more from SevenPonds about coping with grief during the holidays.

How do you cope with loss of a loved one on Valentine’s Day?