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Between October and December, a large number of holidays from a variety of traditions take place. Holiday celebrations are a time of joy, tradition, and relaxation (hopefully). For post-secondary students, they offer a much-needed break from the stresses of studying. Holidays often represent an opportunity to reconnect with family and friends and to enjoy a reprieve from cooking and laundry! However, the reality of the holidays often contrasts with the idealized portrayals in movies; while they can be joyous, they can also evoke excitement and anxiety, especially with respect to family relationships. As Dr. Albers notes, “hometown anxiety isn’t a diagnosis, but it’s a useful term” (Cleveland Clinic, 2024).

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Understanding Grief and Loss

Losing someone or something we hold dear can be an incredibly challenging experience. Whether it’s the passing of a loved one, the end of a relationship, the loss of a job, or the loss of a cherished possession, the feelings of grief and sadness that accompany such events can be overwhelming. Grief is something we all face, but don’t often talk about (Jakoby, 2014). Although grief can be difficult to understand, it is important to know that grief is a normal developmental process that humans go through when faced with either traumatic loss (e.g. a death), ambiguous loss (e.g. entering a new phase of life such as starting university /a new job, or immigrating to a new country), or symbolic loss (e.g. loss of a dream or goal) (Testoni et al., 2020).

Care farming, which uses farming activities as therapy, provides therapeutic benefits by promoting responsibility towards animals and the land and often integrates mental health treatment within social, stigma-free settings. A 2017 review by Gorman and Cacciatore found that care farming can benefit those experiencing psychological distress, suggesting it as a potential non-medicated support for individuals dealing with traumatic grief.