Losing both parents at a young age is an incredibly painful and challenging experience. Your grief is unique to you, and it’s good to try and find ways to manage your grief and find support that works specifically for you.
Connect with trusted friends, family members, mentors, or counsellors. Being around people who listen, understand, and support you can make a huge difference. It may also help to join a support group, especially one with other young people who have experienced similar losses.
Writing, drawing, playing music, or engaging in other creative arts can help process complex emotions. Journalling is a powerful way to explore and release feelings of grief over time.
Create a scrapbook, plant a garden, or make a playlist of songs that remind you of your parents. This can be a beautiful way to celebrate and remember them, you might find joy in looking at your memories or listening to songs, or it might be useful to take that time to cry. Whatever emotions you feel and need to let out are completely normal.
Grief can feel overwhelming, so techniques like deep breathing, meditation, and mindfulness exercises can help to reduce anxiety and stay present in the moment when emotions start to feel too intense. The 5-4-3-2-1 technique is something you can do anywhere, any time.
Talking to Winston’s Wish can provide you with more coping tools and a safe space to process your feelings. The conversations you have with our team will help you find ways to manage your grief that are individual to you and your circumstances.
If your parents left behind letters, photos, recipes, or personal items, keeping these close can provide comfort. You could wear their jewellery or clothing or keep special items in a memory box. You might even choose to take on a tradition or hobby they loved as a way of feeling connected to them.
Grief is a lifelong journey with many ups and downs. Try to be gentle with yourself on difficult days and remind yourself that it’s okay to feel whatever you’re feeling. Equally, it’s okay to have good days and enjoy yourself.
Life after bereavement can feel uncertain, so setting manageable goals like learning a new skill, exercising, or joining a club, can bring a sense of purpose and motivation. If these ideas even feel like too much, try making a smaller list like showering, making the bed, eating a healthy breakfast, or getting some fresh air. Take it day by day and moment by moment and try not to compare your grief to others.
Knowing that you aren’t the only young person grieving can be life changing. Here you can read the experiences of other young people, advice and tips from experts and speak to our bereavement support workers.
Advice, resources and talks to help you understand grief and how it might impact you.
Grieving young people share their real experiences – the good, the bad and the ugly.
Trained bereavement support workers to listen and support you in your grief.
Grief is different for everyone, so however you are feeling you’ll find something to relate to.
Find ways to cope with grief and its emotions as a teen or young adult without their parents.
Winston's Wish Bereavement Support Workers share top tips for looking after your mental health when you're grieving.
Feeling confused by your grief? You're not alone. Our Bereavement Support Team share some reasons why it can be confusing.
Over winter, with the darker evenings, feelings of loneliness can seem more overwhelming than ever.
Iman, Youth Ambassador, shares how she grieves at Christmas even though she doesn't celebrate the occasion.
Crying is a normal response when your person has died, no matter how long ago. There's no right or wrong way to grieve, and it's okay to let it out.
A guide for grieving young people from the Winston's Wish Bereavement Support Team.
Three of our Youth Ambassadors, Anna, Libby and Angharad, reflect on their first Christmas without their person.
Winter and the Christmas holidays can be a difficult time of year. Here are five ways to remember your person this season.
Winston's Wish Bereavement Support Workers share their 8 top tips for bereaved teens and young adults through the colder months.
Youth Ambassadors share the ways they remember their person digitally, through photo albums, playlists, and more.
Youth Ambassadors, Daisy, Freya, and Katie, share their personal views of their own secondary losses as a result of their bereavement.
Hear from some of the Youth Team about times when their teachers have helped them with their grief.
Some tips for taking care of yourself when you're grieving for a celebrity or public figure.
Our Bereavement Support Team have written some guidance on how to manage grief when you feel like you aren't able to be open.
Lilly shares an introduction to her grief experience and why it's so important to her to be a Winston's Wish Youth Ambassador.
Hear from some of their Youth Team about how they found support at uni.
Angus, Content Creator, says, "This message is about embracing change and not letting current moments pass you by."
Coping strategies to support you after a teacher has died
Tips from our bereavement support team to help you with big life changes like moving out as a young adult.
Useful tips to help you understand and cope with your grief.
Feeling sad that your person isn't there, guilty that you're celebrating your results, or proud of yourself for your results. There's no right or wrong way to grieve.
It can be very difficult knowing what to say and to be around someone who has experienced the death of someone close. Adults find it difficult too, so try not to feel bad about this.
The death of a friend may feel extremely difficult and can feel as significant as that of a family member. Whatever you're feeling is valid, and there is no right or wrong way to grieve.
Jack, Content Creator, writes about how managing his grief through running has led to him winning the Leeds Half Marathon 2024!
Iman, Youth Ambassador, explains about Eid and shares what it's like for her and her family to grieve during Eid.
Miranda shares about how she uses music in different ways to help express her grief and emotions.
Ashleigh writes about how both writing and music have helped her in her grief.
The Winston's Wish bereavement support team share top tips for managing grief this Father's Day.
Grace's dad died from cancer when she was eight years old, she shares how she remembers her dad on Father’s Day.
Feelings of worry are very normal when you're grieving. Read on to discover some ways to manage these feelings.
Useful tips for exam season if you're grieving
Youth Ambassador, Iman, shares about her Eid celebrations as a grieving young person
Content Creator, Angus shares his thoughts
Useful tips for exam season
Interview with Mark O’Sullivan, writer of Tell Me Everything
Tips to help improve your sleep when you're grieving
How poetry can be a useful way to express your feelings
Young people share what it's like to grieve while studying at uni.
Our bereavement experts are available to speak to for immediate support on weekdays from 8am to 8pm.
Get top tips from bereavement experts, and hear from Youth Ambassadors, Henri and Teigan, about their experiences of Mother's Day.
Phoebe's mum died when she was nine. She shares how she feels on Mother’s Day and how she remembers her mum.
