Setting intentions for healing in the new year: Approaching the future with self-compassion and resilience

As the calendar turns and a new year approaches, many of us feel an unspoken pressure to “move forward,” to feel renewed, stronger, or somehow different than before. But when you are living with grief—especially after the death of a loved one through medical assistance in dying (MAID)—the transition into a new year can feel complicated, tender, and even heavy.

At MAID Family Support Society, we understand that healing isn’t something you achieve by January 1st. It’s a deeply personal process that unfolds in its own time. This new year, instead of setting rigid resolutions, we invite you to consider something gentler: setting intentions for healing rooted in self-compassion and resilience.

Why intentions matter more than resolutions in times of grief

Traditional new year’s resolutions often focus on productivity, self-improvement, or major life changes. While these can be motivating for some, they can also create pressure and feelings of failure, especially when you’re already carrying emotional weight. Intentions, on the other hand, are about how you want to be, not what you need to achieve. They leave room for flexibility, grace, and the reality that healing looks different for everyone.

Examples of healing intentions might include:

• Being gentler with yourself on hard days
• Allowing space for both grief and joy to co-exist
• Asking for support when you need it
• Honouring your loved one in ways that feel meaningful to you

Intentions are not pass/fail goals. They are guiding lights.

Understanding healing as a non-linear journey

One of the most important things to remember as you move into a new year is this: Healing is not linear.

You may feel grounded one moment and overwhelmed the next. Anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, and unexpected reminders can stir emotions when you least expect them. None of this means you are “going backwards.” It means you are human.

Resilience doesn’t mean being unaffected by loss. It means learning how to carry it while continuing to live.

Setting self-compassionate intentions for the year ahead

If you’re unsure where to begin, here are a few reflective approaches that many in our community have found helpful:

1. Give yourself permission to feel

You don’t need to tidy up your grief to make others comfortable. Anger, sadness, relief, confusion, gratitude – these emotions can all exist at once, especially after a MAID death. An intention might be: “I will allow myself to feel without judgment.”

2. Define what healing means to you

Healing doesn’t mean forgetting. It doesn’t mean being “over it.” It might simply mean learning to breathe through the hard moments or finding small pockets of peace again. Ask yourself: What does healing look like for me right now? What feels supportive, not overwhelming?

3. Practice micro-moments of care

Self-care doesn’t have to be elaborate. Sometimes resilience is built through the smallest actions: stepping outside for fresh air, drinking water, texting a friend, resting without guilt. An intention might be: “I will check in with myself daily, even briefly.”

4. Create gentle rituals of remembrance

Many families find comfort in continuing bonds with their loved ones – lighting a candle on important dates, visiting a meaningful place, or sharing stories with others who understand. These rituals can transform grief from something you carry alone into something that connects you.

Resilience is built through support, not isolation

Grief can feel incredibly isolating, even when you’re surrounded by people. One of the most powerful acts of resilience is allowing yourself to be supported.

At MAID Family Support Society, our volunteers and peer support community walk alongside people navigating:

• Anticipatory grief
• Loss after MAID
• Complex emotions surrounding end-of-life decisions
• The deep, quiet moments that follow after others think the journey is “over”

You don’t have to hold everything by yourself.

Let this be a softer kind of new year

If you’re entering this year feeling uncertain, tender, or emotionally exhausted, you are not alone. And you are not behind.

This year doesn’t have to be about reinvention. It can be about gentle continuity, quiet strength, and compassionate care for yourself.

Healing is not something you rush.

Resilience is not something you force.

Both are built slowly, with patience and support.

You are allowed to heal in your own time

As we step into the new year together, may your intentions be kind.

May your expectations be gentle.

And may you remember—on the hardest days—you don’t have to walk this path alone.

If you would like to reach out for support, we are here to walk alongside you.

 

Photo by madison lavern on Unsplash