Grief and Reflection Exercises to close out the year
Embracing the End of 2024: Grief and Reflection as We Move Into the New Year
As the holiday season wraps up, and we approach the end of 2024, there's a natural pull to reflect on the year gone by. The shift from one year to the next often brings a blend of emotions — excitement for new beginnings, but also a sense of bittersweetness, especially if you’ve lost someone or experienced significant change.
When you have experienced the death of a loved one transitioning to a new year can sometimes feel like leaving them behind. They were a part of your 2024, they existed in that time with you, and now, as the calendar turns, they won’t experience 2025. That thought can be strange, even unsettling. It's almost like saying goodbye again.
If you’ve experienced grief, whether from the loss of a loved one, a relationship, or a chapter of your life, this transition period can bring up complex feelings. There might be aspects of 2024 you’re ready to leave behind — painful memories, regrets, or unresolved emotions. But there may also be parts of this year that you want to hold on to: the lessons learned, the values solidified, the moments of joy, and the characteristics that made you stronger.
The good news? Stepping into 2025 doesn’t mean you have to leave your loved one behind.. In fact, you can actively choose to carry with you the parts of them that shaped you, while also releasing what is taking up free rent in your mind.
Grief and Reflection Exercises to Close Out the Year
If you’re looking for a meaningful way to close out 2024 and transition into the new year with a sense of peace and intention, here are some exercises that can help guide you through the process of reflection, release, and remembrance.
1. Journal 3 Challenges You Experienced and 6 Things You Are Grateful For
Grief and growth often coexist. The end of the year is a perfect time to reflect on the challenges you faced, the lessons learned, and the wisdom gained. Journaling can help you process both the hard moments and the moments of gratitude. If you don’t feel stable enough to do this alone ask a trusted friend to join you. Put on a pot of coffee, light a candle and grab your journal.
Write down three challenges you experienced in 2024. Reflect on how they impacted you, how you responded, and how you’ve changed as a result. Acknowledging these difficulties can give you the space to release any lingering pain and honor your resilience.
Then, list six things you are grateful for. These could be relationships, moments of personal growth, achievements, or even small joys that brought you peace. Gratitude has a powerful way of shifting our perspective and creating a sense of balance as we look forward to the new year.
2. Write Down 1-3 Items You Want to Let Go Of
There may be things from 2024 — emotional baggage, regrets, fears, or un-forgiveness — that you’re ready to release as you step into 2025. Grab a piece of paper and write down 1-3 items (physical, emotional, or mental) you want to let go of.
Once you've written them down, find a symbolic way to release them. You could burn the paper in a fireplace, toss it into a bonfire in your backyard, or even shred it. As you do this, say aloud: “I release you.” This act of release can be incredibly cathartic, symbolizing a conscious decision to leave the past behind and move forward with clarity and intention.
3. Create a Collage of Memories
If you’ve lost someone important to you in 2024, or if you're grieving the end of a chapter in your life, creating a collage can be a powerful way to honor and remember them. Print out some of your favorite photos — moments that represent who your loved one was to you, or images that remind you of your personal journey in 2024. Arrange them into a collage that symbolizes the essence of their presence in your life.
This can be a beautiful tribute to their memory, a way to reflect on their impact, and a reminder that even though the year has ended, their influence continues to shape who you are. You can hang the collage in a place where you’ll see it regularly, serving as a reminder that the love, lessons, and memories they left behind are always with you.
Moving Into 2025 with Intention
As you reflect on 2024 and look toward 2025, remember that this transition is not about erasing the past, but about integrating it into your future. You don’t have to leave behind the your loved one. Instead, choose to carry the pieces that matter most — the values, the strengths, the memories — and step into the new year with those parts of yourself intact.