How to Cope with Grief in the New Year
A new year = a new chapter. But what about that ongoing health condition? What about that recent breakup or divorce? What about that death in the family a few months back or the ongoing struggle of infertility?
Unfortunately, a new year does not mean we get to simply drop all of the grief baggage we have at the door labeled “December 31st.” That’s the thing about grief and loss: it is a process. A process does not mean we just get over something or someone. Rather, the grieving process entails learning to live with the loss we have experienced — and yes, that includes any kind of loss!
With that being said, carrying grief into the new year is hard and often painful. It is something deeply personal, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. However, there are a few tips and skills that we can include in our day-to-day life when learning how to cope with grief.
Rather than our go-to New Year’s resolutions, consider these ideas for some “New Year’s grieving goals,” if you will, to help you learn to live on and make meaning of your individual loss.
Challenge the Avoidance
Instead of resisting, try creating space for grief. Yes, opening that door of emotions is hard. Honestly, it can be an inconvenience, but you can choose how much you open that door and when you want to shut it. Keeping that door shut forever, though, restricts us from processing grief in the way that both our body and mind need.
Carl Jung, a pioneering psychologist once said, “What we resist, persists," so let’s offer ourselves some time to avoid the avoidance, resist the resistance. Try setting a “grief timer,” allowing yourself to feel all the feels for just 15 minutes. Journal it out. Go on a drive and talk to that person or thing that you’re grieving. Be creative. As cheesy as the saying goes, you do in fact need to feel it in order to heal it.
Focus on Connection
Grief can feel isolating, but connection is one of the most powerful sources of healing. Mental health experts emphasize that the single most important factor in healing from loss is having the grief support of other people. Staying connected —whether through other relationships, shared memories, or rituals — helps transform grief from something to endure alone into an opportunity to build stronger community.
Find a support group, join a Facebook page, or discuss your loss with someone you care about. By leaning into connection, we honor both our loss and our capacity for love by allowing grief to become not just an experience of pain but one of continued relationships and resilience.
Practice Balance
Two things can be true at the same time! Joy and grief can coexist, and you have permission to feel both. Allowing both sorrow and moments of peace to exist together honors the full reality of your experience.
Designate intentional time for remembrance in your life to grieve what needs to be grieved, but also balance it with moments that root you in the present: being with friends, cooking a meal, or engaging in something creative. In practicing balance, you give yourself space to live fully — not in spite of your grief, but alongside it.
If you are struggling with grief that feels insurmountable, make self-compassion a priority, and talk to a trusted loved one or meet with a mental health professional if needed. Grieving does not make you weak; it makes you a human with a lot of love to give. There is no time limit, there is no right or wrong way to do it, and no matter how disconnected grief can make you feel, you are never alone.
Smith, M., Robinson, L., & Segal, J. (2025, November 15). Coping with grief and loss: Stages of grief and how to heal. HelpGuide.org.
https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/grief/coping-with-grief-and-loss
ABOUT BROOKLYNN ZAUGG
Brooklynn is a therapist that works with teens and young adults navigating grief and loss, anxiety, life transitions, and relationship challenges. She offers a collaborative, compassionate space and integrates approaches such as Parts Work (IFS), Emotionally Focused Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
