We have a returning guest: Chantal Vanhagen, who came to the podcast in EP 24 to talk about toxic positivity and spiritual bypassing.

Chantal's Mum died earlier this year as did a very dear friend of hers and I thought having a discussion with her around how grief can be exacerbated around Christmas would be a good idea. The first Christmas (if you celebrate Christmas obviously - feel free to use any other family gatherings in your own tradition) after a loved one has died can be the hardest time because you cannot help remembering that last Christmas that person was with you.

Christmas can magnify feelings like no other celebration. If you are happy, then you are probably likely to feel happier as you are surrounded by loved ones, but if you are not, particularly if you are dealing with the messy process of grief, then it's going to be a challenge.

But it's not just for people who have lost loved ones, you could be grieving not having had children and insensitive relatives might rub it in your face. Or, like Bridget Jones, you could be single in your thirties and feel like the odd one.

Grief hit me unexpectedly this Christmas as I witnessed the staff of a restaurant decorating a Christmas tree and unprocessed grief around the fact that my ex-husband never allowed me to decorate our Christmas tree in the twenty years we were together, depriving me of the joy of doing that with our two children when they were little. The grief was real and I sat and journaled on it.

Whatever your reason for grieving, Chantal and I offer lived experience, share stories and tips on how to cope with it. We also give tips for people who know people who are grieving and who might not know how to best support them.

To find out more about Chantal, find her on Facebook at Soothing conversations with Chantal.