As we near the end of 2017, you may be looking back on it as a year you’d like to erase from your memory! In addition to all the disasters and political upheavals in the U.S. and abroad, your year may have been difficult because of crises closer to home. These crises might include the death(s) of close family members or friends, a separation or divorce, a serious injury or illness, the loss of a job, a financial setback, the loss of a home or possessions, or an unresolved relationship conflict. And, even as you try to erase these painful events from your memory, their weight and stress may very well go with you into 2018.
In the closing days of 2017, ask what burdens, if any, you are carrying forward, and what stress-related symptoms you are experiencing as a result. Then, sit down and create a doable plan for managing your stress in the New Year. To stimulate your thinking, I’ve attached a handout, below, taken from my Grief Support Mailings. The words of the first century Greek philosopher, Epictetus, are as true today as they were then: “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”
I hope your holidays were special in some way and that the New Year will be one of hope, renewal, and a commitment to self-care.