A Holiday Reflection for caregivers

By Daysia Dixon, TAEM Peer Ambassador

We’re approaching the end of the year, and usually this last month is all about two things: Christmas shopping and deciding what we want to change in the new year. But this year, I want to offer a different way to close things out. Yes, enjoy the holiday shopping, but also give yourself plenty of rest and a little space to look back on everything this year held.

Instead of jumping straight into resolutions, try taking a moment to remember some of the good things that happened to you. Big wins, small wins, quiet moments of growth, all of it matters more than we sometimes realize. Take time to celebrate yourself, because you deserve that. Reflection can be as simple as noticing how far you’ve come or giving yourself credit for showing up on the hard days when you didn’t think you had it in you.

Paying attention to these moments helps us slow down and appreciate the strength, patience, and resilience it took to make it through the year. One idea for next year is to write down the good things as they happen and place them in a jar. By this time next December, you’ll be able to look back and see just how much you accomplished.