Recall moments of joy as the year ends

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The year coming to an end feels like a bittersweet time for many people. As a therapist, I have observed an increase in the number of people who reach out at this time of the year.

Existing clients talk about a magnification of feelings of loneliness, anxiety and low mood. The absence of relationships or the pressure to make decisions related to intimate relationships seems to get exacerbated. For those who have lost a loved one or experienced grief in other ways, such as the loss of a friendship or struggles in an infertility journey, year endings are a reminder of the absence and longing for those they have loved or desired.

This is also where very often people find themselves struggling with hope, community and re-evaluating decisions. As a result, therapy work largely focuses on acknowledging what is emerging and holding space for these feelings. Since it’s a time of celebration, for many clients and friends, it is hard to even recognise what they are feeling and they experience guilt for not being happy.

In sessions, we help clients develop a tool kit to navigate this time. Structure, self-soothing and social support can be pillars we rest on when grief emerges. The year ending and the beginning of a new year are grief activators—a time when we experience feelings of loss with increased frequency and deeper intensity.

Volunteering, choosing to make plans for weekends and watching art or cinema that’s calming can help. I use this time to work with clients to introspect on the events that brought them happiness and joy. Consciously looking back and revisiting moments that brought us satisfaction or happiness allow us to see things with a certain perspective.