Coping With Grief on Mother’s Day: A Gentle Guide for Daughters Missing Their Moms

Navigating any holiday without your mom is hard. But Mother’s Day? That one cuts deeper than most. Especially if this is your first Mother’s Day without her. Although the sting never truly goes away, no matter how many years have passed.

In this gentle grief guide, I’ll be sharing some real, heartfelt ways to help you cope during this Mothers Day Holiday. Whether your grief is new or something you carry quietly year after year, this is for you.

1. Start With Coping Skills That Actually Support You

Taking care of yourself while grieving might feel like the hardest thing to do, but it’s also the most necessary. When it comes to making it through Mother’s Day, small acts of care can go a long way.

One of the first things you can do is mentally prepare yourself ahead of time. Give yourself a heads-up that this day might come with a flood of emotions, and that it’s okay if it does. That might look like planning to be with people who love and support you. Or it might mean creating space to be completely alone with your thoughts, your memories, and your grief.

Whether you curl up with a weighted blanket, light a candle, take a long bath, or simply let yourself cry, it all counts as care.

2. Journal What’s Coming Up for You

You don’t have to have the perfect words. You don’t have to know what to say. Just start writing and let it flow.

Journaling can be a powerful tool in grief, it gets those tangled thoughts and feelings out of you and onto the page. If you want to, write a letter to your mom. Tell her how much you miss her. Tell her about your life. Say what you wish you could say.

If you need a place to start, try this prompt:
“What do I wish I could say to her today?”

No pressure. Just honesty. Just you and the page.

3. Be Gentle With Yourself—Even When It Feels Impossible

Grief comes with a whole lot of guilt sometimes. Maybe you feel guilty for laughing. Or for celebrating Mother’s Day with your own kids when you’re still grieving the loss of your own mother.

But hear this, you are allowed to keep living. You are allowed to feel joy. You are allowed to move forward without “moving on.”

Being kind to yourself is not betrayal, it’s survival.

4. Watch Out for Avoidance Behaviors

Now, let’s be honest, there are some things we do that we think help, but they actually make the grief worse.

If you find yourself trying to avoid the day entirely by:

• Overworking

• Isolating yourself

• Staying constantly busy

• Drinking or using drugs to numb

• Sleeping the whole day away

… just pause. These behaviors might bring temporary relief, but they often deepen the spiral. Try not to run from your grief. Sit with it. Let it rise. Let it pass.

5. Give Yourself Permission to Create New Traditions

Sometimes, doing things the way you used to when your mom was alive feels too painful. That’s okay.

You have permission to do things differently now.
Maybe that means lighting a candle in her honor. Maybe it’s cooking one of her favorite dishes. Or maybe it’s starting something entirely new a walk in the park, a donation to a cause she loved, a moment of silence with your morning coffee.

New traditions don’t erase the old memories. They make room for healing.

If you’re grieving your mom this Mother’s Day, know that you are not alone.
There is no “right” way to get through a day like this—only your way. And whatever that looks like this year, let it be enough.

Looking for support in your grief journey?
I offer individual counseling for those grieving the loss of a parent. If Mother’s Day has left you feeling overwhelmed, I’m here to help.

[Click here to schedule a session or learn more.] Let’s Talk!!