Seeking Closure for 2025 Through Reflection

Seeking Closure for 2025 Through Reflection

As the year approaches its end, most of the time, we tend to ponder on how the year has been. How was 2025 for you? Hard? Unexpected? A great year?

Reflecting Over The Year

Some may find it scary to reflect, or remember what has happened the past year. With the fear of overthinking and spiralling unproductively, and staying stuck in a really dark place. We’ve all been there —- you’re not alone in that. “Thinking about the past makes us stuck in the past.” Staying stuck in the past often comes from rumination and spiraling, getting stuck with a sticky negative thought, feeling shame, regret, resentment…

This is why how we reflect matters.

It’s important to set yourself up for reflection in a way that feels supportive — a way that comes from a place of genuinely wanting yourself to grow and thrive. Reflection doesn’t have to start with questions like “What did I achieve this year?” because, honestly, that can sometimes push us further down a rabbit hole of self-criticism and unrealistic expectations.

As you sit down cosily in a private space, with your notebook at hand, your favourite pen and a cup of hot drink next to you, gently ask yourself these questions instead. Think of: What did you survive this year? What did your body endure? What are you carrying forward unintentionally? What are you ready to set down and let go of — even partially?

This is reflection rooted in compassion, not performance.

Reflection For Growth, Not Shame

Some may also question, “There’s no point in reflecting, we should just focus on moving forward!” —- which cannot be further from the truth. Without reflecting from the past, there is NO moving forward. One cannot learn and grow, and know exactly what they should do or shouldn’t do without actually reflecting what has happened in the past. What worked, and what didn’t? Why did it work, and why didn't it work? How can we replicate successes, and how can we avoid repeating past mistakes?

More importantly, reflection builds self-awareness. It helps you understand your likes and dislikes, your reactions, triggers, emotional patterns, thoughts, and values. This awareness allows you to live more intentionally — making choices that align with who you are, rather than being driven by comparison, blame, or external pressure.

When reflection is done with curiosity instead of judgment, it builds confidence from within.

The Power of Journaling

I really, REALLY recommend using journaling as a method for you to reflect, reset and refocus for the new year. It helps you to translate your thoughts into pen and paper, which gives you the opportunity to read it from outside of your mind. It helps to build clarity from the messiness of your mind and your thoughts, and string it into words that you can read again after. It also gives structure —- in noticing your thought patterns, and truly learning more about yourself.

Over time, journaling becomes a way of truly getting to know yourself — gently, honestly, and at your own pace.

Written by
Sharifah Diana, Registered Clinical Psychologist

Diana is one of the co-founders of Minda Psychology Services, and advocates for mental health awareness, acknowledgement, and change in Malaysia. Her work focuses on emotional difficulties, relationship issues, trauma, sexual health and wellbeing, as well as other mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety. Drawing from Emotion-Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Person-Centred Therapy, Diana helps clients explore their inner world, process difficult experiences, and move toward growth and resilience. Learn more about her here.

The Concept of Closure

The end of the year can bring up certain feelings of pressure and stress — wondering, “Gosh what did I do this year? Why haven’t I achieved the things I wanted yet?” – and sometimes comparing ourselves and our journeys to others. We may feel the need to have closure, which can force us to unauthentically close certain chapters or matters in our lives prematurely or when we’re not fully ready yet. Forcing closure when we’re not ready often creates more stress than relief.

So what does closure really mean? And what does it look like?

According to Aiken, closure is the sense of completion of one’s events in their lives. It is the process of understanding the situation, processing any lingering feelings towards it, and allowing the passage of time to pass to place the situation in context. Closure isn’t about rushing an ending — it’s about meaning-making and emotional integration.

Therapy as a Transition Space

So if you’re struggling to reflect without spiralling, use resources like speaking and bouncing off your thoughts with your trusted loved ones, mentors and fellow therapists. Therapy, in particular, can act as a transition space — a place to hold grief, reach relief, recognise repeating patterns, and slowly make sense of what you’re carrying.

You don’t need to have everything figured out before the year ends.

Instead of Resolutions, Let’s Try Themes

My wise friend mentioned that they’ve tried resolutions for a while now and unfortunately it didn’t work out well. Instead, they tried using “themes” for the year. To find a word that resonates with what you want the next year to be.

We decided that for 2026, the theme was ‘Authenticity’.

To be the most authentic versions of ourselves —- that would mean meeting parts of your old self that you’ve hidden away, your child self finally feeling safe to come out, your wiser self adapting to these versions of yourselves coming together without necessarily tugging and judging and shaming each other away. But instead, integrating these parts of yourselves into one — to essentially allow yourself to be, to exist, as who you truly are, to be seen, acknowledged, rejected, accepted, embraced, loved by people and most importantly, yourself. Doesn’t that sound awesome? A relief. A breath of fresh year. 2026, the year of becoming you again.

What’s Next?

You don’t need to have all the answers right now.

You only need to be willing to pause, notice, and listen.

That, in itself, is already growth.

Happy New Year, may we close the past year with peace and clarity, and step into the new year with intention and contentment.

Resources

"Closure in Psychology | Definition, Gestalt Principle & Examples." Study.com, 9 September 2022, study.com/academy/lesson/closure-principles-examples-psychology.html

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