Grieving during the holidays is especially challenging. If you have lost one or more loved ones recently, take very good care of yourself and really just give yourself a break on keeping up appearances or meeting expectations of others. Beg off as many events and gatherings as you want to let go. People can understand.
Also, you may want to find something to do that will be meaningful to you as a new tradition. It can be as simple as finding a place to ice skate during Hannukkah or as involved as organizing a group to go sing Christmas carols at a nursing home on Christmas Day.
Another suggestion is to do daily walks so you can just spend some time just grieving. Those walks will help you be happier at other times. You can even walk through a light display at a zoo or a botanic gardens on your own or with a friend.
Meadowlark Press has published a small, encouraging book to use when you’re grieving: Walking Through the Valley: Grieving Well One Step at a Time by C.S. Boddie. It’s a friend that comes alongside you wherever you are in the grieving process and walks with you for a short time, such as one autumn or one year. The twenty-one-day devotional has words and images to comfort and inspire, plus recommendations for resources. You can buy it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.