Father’s Day weekend can be really difficult for people who are grieving. Whether your dad or father-in-law has died, you have a complicated relationship with your dad, your child has died, or your partner longs to be a parent and their time hasn’t come yet, whatever the case may be, your feelings are valid. 

Below are some tips to protect your heart during Father’s Day weekend:

Stay off (or limit) social media: easier said than done but try to allow yourself to unplug. Seeing others post about their dad’s or their growing families can be hard!  Why subject yourself to that? 

Opt-out: our inboxes are flooded with “Father’s Day Gift Guides” or discount codes. A lot of companies actually allow subscribers to opt out of their Mother’s Day and Father’s Day emails. 

Create a new tradition: sometimes continuing traditions can be too difficult without the person you’re deeply missing. Try something new! Think about what they loved or what would make you feel most connected to them. 

Some ideas: 

• Set aside 5 minutes of your day to look at photos of them 

• Get out in nature 

• Write them a letter 

• Pay it forward in memory of your loved one

• ex: buy the person in front of you their coffee 

• Send a message to someone who has helped your through your grieving process, or someone who acts as a father figure to you 

• Tell someone a story about your loved one

No matter how big or small it may seem, it counts! It’s an act of service to yourself.

Allow yourself to be supported: it may be hard to muster the energy to do this, but if you can, try to advocate for yourself with your loved ones and support system. 

Examples: 

• “This day is really hard for me, I think I’m going to hang back. You guys have fun!” 

• “I’m not feeling up for brunch today, thank you for the invite. I just need some alone time.” 

• “I think this weekend is going to be pretty rough. Would you mind sending me a check-in text on Saturday and Sunday mornings?” 

• “I don’t feel like my best self today. I could really use your help with X.” 

• “I’m going to come to the BBQ, but I would prefer if we didn’t talk about X” 

Set up an appointment at Indigo: Acupuncture can help the body process grief by supporting the lungs, the organ that holds grief according to Chinese Medicine.

Permission to grieve: if none of this feels good to you, that’s okay too! Give yourself permission to grieve. Take the day. Feel your feelings. Stay home. Snuggle up even if the sun is shining. And know that this day is 24 hours long, just like the rest of them.