SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Christmas is just a few days away, and while many people may be jolly, the season can be painful for some.
Maybe you have an extra seat at the holiday gathering, or maybe you know someone who does. Health providers with HSHS talked to WAND News about the best ways to deal with the holiday blues.
The supervisor of Mission Integration and Spiritual Care at HSHS St. John's Hospital said that at their hospital, each year, they put up a tree filled with ornaments of children of families who have died.
"Every year, we have a memorial service where we honor our children, decorate the Christmas tree, sing some Christmas carols, and together we walk out to our Angel of Hope chair and statue and place white flowers on it. And it's truly just a way that people can hold on to those traditions of their children and just embrace -- embrace the moments."
They have put the tree up for the past 50 years.
Marshall added it is really important to make space for yourself and your mental health during the holidays,
"It's a difficult conversation to have but to be true and genuine to ourselves and just reach out to our family, our friends, our coworkers, our faith, whatever our traditions might be, just to get some support through the holidays. It's okay to have those heavy moments."
Grief affects everyone, said Marshall, and while using counseling services is helpful, it's okay to also reach out to trusted loved ones.
"One thing about grief is it does affect all of us. And so when we reach out to someone else, we take that moment to be courageous and say, I'm having a hard time this holiday season. It actually opens the door -- make it free for someone else to say, 'You know what, I am too.' And the more we start talking about that, we realize we're not alone. And then we just join together and share our memories and, most importantly, stay connected to our loved ones."
If you need help working through a mental health crisis this holiday season, call or text 988, the national crisis hotline. If you are a veteran, press 1.
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