Holiday Grief Workbook

CHAPTER ONE – NAVIGATING THE HOLIDAYS AFTER LOSS

• A Home for Grief – Explore your emotions and create a space to acknowledge and honour your grief.
• The Jar Model for Understanding Grief – A model for understanding how we can grow our world around grief.
• The Box and the Ball Model – Understand how grief shifts over time using this insightful metaphor to reflect on your experience.
• My Christmas WellBeing Plan – A personalised plan to navigate the emotional challenges of the festive season.
• My Christmas Crisis + Coping Plan – Identify triggers + develop effective coping mechanisms.
• 62 Tips for Managing Grief at Christmas – A collection of thoughtful suggestions designed to help you manage grief during the festive season.
• 5 Minute Daily Journal – A quick + simple way to reflect, with space for positive affirmations, gratitude, + mindful moments to support your emotional wellbeing.

CHAPTER TWO – MINDSET + MEANING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

• My Holiday, My Way – Reflect on what a meaningful festive season could look like for you while honouring your grief.
• Positive Affirmations – Boost self-esteem + resilience with positive affirmations.
• Gift of Gratitude – Practice gratitude to improve mental well-being.

CHAPTER THREE – CONNECTING WITH OTHERS OVER THE HOLIDAYS

• Holiday Social Plan – Plan your approach to gatherings, including how to manage socialising + meaningful connections.
• Boundaries During the Holidays – Learn about the importance of setting boundaries during the holiday season + how to communicate them effectively.
• Boundary Plan – Identify potential challenges to maintaining boundaries + create a practical plan to navigate them successfully.
• Talking About Grief – Gentle Ways to Share.

CHAPTER FOUR – CELEBRATING YOUR LOVED ONE

• Holiday Traditions Reimagined – Think about the values you can carry forward.
• Finding New Ways to Honour Your Loved One – Guidance on creating new traditions to honour the memory of the loved one during Christmas.
• Letter for your Loved One – Express feelings + thoughts to and about your loved one.

CHAPTER FIVE – SELF CARE + MANAGING STRESS

• 75 Ways to Support Your Mental Health – tips + activities to help you care for your mental health during the festive season.
• Christmas To Dos (on Your Terms) – Prioritise what feels right for you + let go of unnecessary pressures.
• Box Breathing – A simple breathing technique to reduce stress + anxiety.
• Holiday Stress Journal – Track stress triggers + develop coping strategies.
• Anxiety Affirmations – Address specific anxieties related to the holidays.
• Mindful Moments – Guided mindfulness exercises for calm and presence.
• Daily Self-care Checklist – A daily checklist to ensure you’re prioritising self-care – small but meaningful practices to support your well-being.

CHAPTER SIX – RESTFUL NIGHTS DURING THE HOLIDAYS

• Holiday Sleep Goals – Set achievable sleep goals.
• Sleep Tips – Techniques for winding down before bed.
• Holiday Sleep Diary – A tool for tracking sleep patterns and identifying any disruptions caused by holiday stress.
• Declutter Your Mind Before Bed – A sheet to help you clear lingering thoughts before sleep.

7 Meditation Audio Files

• Track 1 – Making Space for Noticing – A gentle practice to help you pause and observe your grief, creating space to honour your emotions.
• Track 2 – Noticing fears in grief and bringing compassion – Explore the fears that arise in grief and cultivate kindness toward yourself.
• Track 3 – Expanding space for feelings of grief – Allow your grief to be fully felt, embracing it with openness and acceptance.
• Track 4 – Building connection with your loved one – Strengthen your bond with the one you’ve lost, fostering a sense of closeness and remembrance.
• Track 5 – Self compassion and self care in grief – Learn to nurture yourself with compassion and care during this difficult time.
• Track 6 – Gratitude alongside grief – Find moments of gratitude within your grief, balancing sorrow with appreciation for what remains.
• Track 7 – Visualisation for future healing – Envision a path toward healing, imagining a future where grief coexists with growth.
• Bonus Track – Grief Comes in Waves – Calming audio meditation that describes grief as an ebb and flow of emotions, inviting you to embrace the rising and falling feelings.