120 - Coping with Grief & Loss During the Holidays: Emotional Support & Gentle Rituals

If the holidays feel heavy or unexpectedly emotional, you’re not alone. In this episode, host Elizabeth Mintun explores the tender landscape of holiday grief, including why it often feels heavier this time of year, and how we can support ourselves with gentleness and honesty. Through two powerful folktales from Japan and the Arctic Inuit tradition, she reflects on the universal experience of loss, remembrance, and the quiet ways love continues across time and distance.This episode is for anyone moving through grief, navigating an empty chair at the table, or simply feeling the emotional weight that the holidays often stir.Key TakeawaysGrief often intensifies during the holidays. The season’s pressure for joy, togetherness, and celebration can amplify absence, longing, and memories. Grief naturally rises and falls, and the holidays are one of those times when it resurfaces.Grief doesn’t need to be pushed aside to enjoy the holidays; it can be gently integrated. You can create your own ritual of remembrance - big or small - to honor the person you miss. Lighting a candle, displaying a photo, cooking their favorite dish, telling a story about them, or simply whispering their name are meaningful acts of connection.It’s okay to set boundaries around traditions or expectations that no longer fit.Part of navigating holiday grief is giving yourself permission to adapt or simplify rituals, skip events, or ask for support.Resources Learn more about 1:1 Coaching with Elizabeth Mintun here. Contact Elizabeth: [email protected] to The Calming Ground Podcast so you never miss an episode. If you loved this conversation, please share it with a friend!