Maybe you’re reading this and feeling a little frustrated because you’ve had a tough year, and talking about sparking joy or celebrating success might seem miles away from what you’ve been through. Whether you’ve lost someone dear, faced illness, divorce, redundancy, or any other difficult challenges, it’s understandable if the idea of reviewing your year seems tough.
‘Take a compassionate stance – be kind to yourself when reflecting,’ says chartered psychologist Dr Tara Quinn-Cirillo. ‘And be objective: what would a friend say about your year? Often we speak to ourselves more kindly when we look at our experiences from the viewpoint of a third person.’ Maybe the friend would tell you that you’ve done well to get through the year, that it’s unfair that you’ve suffered, and that you deserve to be happy.