Can Labor Day Be Painful for Those Who Are Grieving?
- Elizabeth Delaney Headlines Contributor
- Updated Aug 27, 2024
A person tends to settle into a general rhythm and routine over the course of a typical week. This can include work, school, extracurricular activities, perhaps grocery shopping, and other errands or chores that may be designated for a certain day of the week. There can actually be a sense of comfort and normalcy that serves as a distraction from emotional pain or other struggles a person may be going through.
How Holidays Change Rhythm and Routine
When most people think of holidays that are difficult for those who are grieving, they think of major holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. However, any holiday that changes the general rhythm and routine of a typical week can make it more challenging for a person to distract himself or herself from the loss of a loved one.
The Labor Day Holiday tends to interrupt a person's routine, though under normal circumstances, it's likely a welcome interruption for those who get paid time off of work. But for those who have lost a loved one, Labor Day can actually be a difficult holiday. Family gets together for a barbecue or other traditions, and the absence of a loved one at the gathering can be a painful reminder of the change that has taken place.
About 2.5 million people in the United States pass away every year, according to Psychiatric Times. On the average, there are five bereaved people for each loss. Over half of American women will experience the loss of their husband by the time they reach the age of 65, and 10 percent of American men will be widowed by that same age.
Responses to the Pain of Grief
There are both healthy and unhealthy ways people react to the loss of a loved one. Some of the unhealthy ways in which people may act out could include alcoholic binges or other drug binges, overeating (or not eating at all to the point of becoming anorexic), grief shopping, self-harm (such as cutting, burning, or scratching), sexual promiscuity and more. The assistance of a counselor should definitely be sought out to overcome unhealthy reactions and find healthy ways to process grief, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Some healthy ways that grief can be processed include exercise such as walking, hiking, cycling, dancing, or some form of exercise a person finds enjoyable. Other helpful choices include:
- Journaling
- Watching or reading humorous material
- Making healthy dietary choices
- Getting adequate sleep
- Joining a support group and/or seeing a counselor, according to New Life Ministries.
Because grief is a response to an injury that's emotional in nature rather than a physical injury (such as a broken arm), the healing process is different, and the amount of time it takes to walk through it varies from person to person, according to Focus on the Family. There's a fairly consistent amount of measurable time for when a broken bone heals. A person going through the grieving process could begin to experience healing in as little as a few months, but it can also take a year or more, according to WebMD. There are many variables that can impact the process, such as how close a person was to the loved one who passed away, age, the nature of how a loved one passes away, and more.
A Few Helpful Resources
Some resources that may be helpful in processing grief include Healing is a Choice, by Steve Arterburn, connecting with a support group through GriefShare.org, Overcoming Grief and Loneliness audio download or YouTube link, by Joyce Meyer, and Focus on the Family grief resources.
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