New Year Anxiety
When Fresh Starts Feel Threatening.
For many people, the new year is framed as a hopeful reset—a clean slate, a fresh start, a moment full of possibility. And yet, if you’re reading this with a knot in your chest or a quiet sense of dread beneath the surface, you’re not alone.
For those navigating grief, loss, burnout, or major life transitions, the start of the year can feel deeply anxiety-provoking. When the world expects motivation and optimism, you may feel pressure, unease, or even shutdown instead. This isn’t a failure of mindset or resilience. It’s often a nervous system response to change, uncertainty, and lived experience.
If January feels more threatening than inspiring, there is nothing wrong with you.
Anxiety at the start of the year is not a personal failing. Often, it’s the nervous system asking for safety.
Why Fresh Starts Can Trigger Anxiety
A “fresh start” implies movement—forward, upward, different. But for a nervous system shaped by loss or prolonged stress, change doesn’t always register as exciting. Often, it registers as unsafe.
When predictability disappears, the body looks for cues of danger. New routines, new expectations, and new demands can activate nervous system stress, especially if you’ve lived through experiences where change came with pain—such as the death of a loved one, the unraveling of a relationship, caregiving burnout, or identity shifts like retirement or relocation.
Trauma history—whether acute or cumulative—can make “starting over” feel like standing at the edge of something unknown without enough support. Perfectionism and internal pressure to “do the year right” can amplify anxiety at the start of the year, sending the message that you must improve quickly or risk falling behind.
From a body-based perspective, this anxiety isn’t irrational. It’s protective.
If you’re curious about gentle ways people support themselves through these transitions, you might choose to read more about the support I offer—not as a commitment, but as a quiet exploration of what safety-centered grief support can look like.
How Anxiety Shows Up at the Beginning of the Year
New year anxiety doesn’t always look like panic. Often, it’s subtle and layered:
A sense of heaviness or dread upon waking
Trouble concentrating or making decisions
Avoidance of planning or goal-setting
Fatigue, restlessness, or disrupted sleep
Emotional numbness or irritability
A feeling of being “behind” before the year even begins
For many people navigating grief and trauma healing, these responses are the nervous system’s way of conserving energy and maintaining safety. They are not signs of weakness or regression. They are signals asking for steadiness, not force.
This is why traditional talk therapy or productivity-based approaches don’t always feel like the right fit. Many people instead seek trauma informed grief support, somatic grief healing, or body based grief healing—approaches that work with the body rather than pushing through it.
If you’ve ever wondered how grief coaching online or zoom grief support groups help stabilize emotions and rebuild trust in yourself, you may want to learn how this kind of support works in supporting regulation and nervous-system safety.
Practical Ways to Support Anxiety in January
There is no single “right” way to begin the year—especially when you are grieving or exhausted. These gentle practices are not about fixing anxiety, but about offering your system more safety and choice.
Soften your expectations
You don’t need to know where the year is going. Let January be a time of listening rather than deciding. Self-compassion creates more capacity than urgency ever could.
Anchor in the body
Simple practices—placing a hand on your chest, noticing your feet on the floor, lengthening your exhale—can help signal safety to the nervous system. This is the foundation of grief and trauma healing.
Reduce comparison
Social narratives around productivity and transformation can intensify anxiety at the start of the year. Consider limiting exposure to messages that make your body tense or constricted.
Choose rhythm over resolution
Instead of goals, explore gentle rhythms: rest, nourishment, connection, time outdoors. These are especially supportive for those navigating grief healing retreats, online workshops, or ongoing grief support.
Let support be proactive
Seeking support doesn’t mean you’re overwhelmed or failing. Many people engage in somatic grief support or grief coaching online precisely because they want to feel steadier, safer, and more connected as they move through change.
A Gentle Invitation Forward
If the new year is stirring anxiety, grief, or uncertainty, you don’t have to judge yourself—or navigate it alone. You might begin simply by noticing what this season is asking of you, without rushing to answer.
If anxiety at the start of the year feels persistent or heavy, reaching out for support can be a grounding, stabilizing step—not a last resort. Whether through trauma informed grief support, zoom grief support groups, an online workshop, or a one-to-one conversation, there are ways to be held that honor your pace and your whole self.
When you’re ready—if and when it feels right—you’re welcome to begin with a quiet conversation through a discovery call. There’s no pressure, no fixing, and no expectation—just space to explore what support might look like for you right now.
You don’t have to start the year strong. You can start it gently.
Dawn M. Geoppinger, Trauma-Informed Grief & Embodiment Coach
Dawn M. Geoppinger is a Trauma-Informed Grief & Embodiment Coach based in Portland, Oregon, with a strong foundation of over two decades of professional experience in public administration, education, and the nonprofit sector. She specializes in grief education, somatic movement, breathwork, and mindfulness, integrating evidence-based approaches such as somatic practices, post-traumatic growth and woman-centered principles to help clients reconnect with themselves, regulate their nervous systems, and honor the full spectrum of loss and healing. Through her practice, The Embodied Grief Journey™, Dawn provides compassionate, expert support both in person and online—creating safe, nurturing spaces for individuals to explore grief, resilience, and embodied healing.
