5 Minute Read
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Seasonal Grief: Seasons Have Meaning
Seasons are known for the feelings they evoke and the part they play in our life cycle of life and death. Each season change brings its own reminders of loss. Seasonal grief is a situation in which traditions and memories of each season tug at the heart of a grieving person, reminding them of what was lost. More than 50 per cent of grieving people say they felt the effects around them through seasonal grief.
How Other Cultures View Autumn
In Asian mysticism and Chinese medicine, Autumn is considered the season of Grief, while Summer is associated with the emotion of joy, Autumn is associated with both courage and sadness. If you are grieving, you can probably feel the truth of that association for yourself, because, in Autumn, things are dying. The light is dying as Earth’s orbit around the sun and tilt on its axis combine to carry us in this hemisphere further away from receiving the sun’s rays most directly. The days are getting shorter. Plants and trees are winding down their cycle of growth. Sadness – and courage – are natural emotions as these changes are taking place.
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That’s part of what the Chinese philosophy of the five phases or five elements is trying to convey: for example, sadness is part of the autumn season. It’s just part of nature.
Grieving Season
So, for grievers, the Fall season can be harder than other seasons.
Here is a thoughtful piece from the whatsyourgrief.com, explained by someone for whom Fall is her “grief season.”
In the summer season, the feel is one of vibrance and abundance. Then, the season turns to one that can sometimes evoke the feeling of numbness and pain. This can mimic how we feel when we go from a life filled with our loved one to the new, empty life, with his or her void.
Is This an Accurate Way to Describe Grief?
It makes it easy to associate this with the initial phase of grief. If the fall season symbolizes loss or death, winter is the darkness that follows, as if to be the aftershock of it all. Fall is a visually a season of loss.
Photo by Andy Holmes on Unsplash
Fall is nature’s season of death. Reminders of loss and death are even evidenced in the browning and falling of the leaves.
When is Seasonal Grief Present?
As seasons change, we move to the “what is the reality left” phase of the grief experience. While our life will never be the same again, grief work can slowly help us identify what is left in our lives. Our core group of family friends, neighbors, and support system help us preserve and to grow and move forward, as the seasons do. Those grieving the death of a loved one may find that, through loss, there can be a rediscovery of life. Autumn succumbs to Winter. Then comes the Spring season of hope and renewal as the cycle begins again. In the later stages of grief, we are reminded that we can find joy and meaning in life once more.
How to combat and support your Autumn grief:
First of all, don’t fight it. Feeling your grief and understanding it is a step towards healing.
Take as good care of yourself as possible. Comforting foods and comforting conversations with friends can help.
Reach out to a professional grief counselor, because you deserve to have the support you need during grief.
Remind yourself that in years past, the seasons have come and gone in your life. From some losses and seasons have come newness and possibilities
If you are prone to seasonal depression, seek medical attention and treatment.
Don’t remain isolated. Find solace alone when needed, but seek out the company of others too.
Soothe yourself with some pampering indulgences.
In any season, Tough Times Call For Gentle Support. Email me to schedule a brief call or click the image below to see if you can benefit from grief counseling. Or click here to get a free handout about grief counseling.
