10 Grief Resolutions for the New Year

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.

As we face the start of a new year, we remember that not everyone will experience 2023 alongside us. Many of us are entering 2023 without our person, and others approach the new year with the certainty or possibility that someone in their world will die before the start of 2024.

If you are one of these individuals, instead of setting New Year’s Resolutions that may feel trivial when something so big has happened in your world, here are ten grief resolutions that may help bring you comfort as you move into 2023:

1. I will answer honestly when people ask me how I am doing,

2. I will allow my grief to take as long as it takes, and I will not force it into an arbitrary timeline.

3. I will offer empathy and forgiveness to others who don’t understand my pain and who may say or do unintentionally hurtful or dismissive things.

4. I will express my grief and my tears freely without embarrassment.

5. I will accept the support of others when offered, and I will not decline it out of a sense of politeness or guilt.

6. I will ask for help from personal and professional supports when I need it.

7. I will give myself the same compassion I give to others, and I will not hold higher expectations for myself.

8. I will continue to say my loved one’s name, treasure and take comfort in their memory, and share their story with those who are willing to listen.

9. I will find small opportunities each day to see hope and purpose in the future, and I will take moments to care for myself.

10. I will offer support to others who are also grieving by listening fully and not imposing my story on theirs.