AS THE YEAR comes to a close, most of us have memories from various months that have been either positive or negative. A number of highlights that, at one point, may have overwhelmed us in different ways. 

The holiday season is an excellent time to reflect on all of our memories while surrounded by our family, friends, other loved ones, or other support systems. 

For Gen Zs, the holiday season provides a rare opportunity to pause, reflect, and regroup before embarking on another year, having faced a lot of obstacles that have influenced their mental health, and personal growth.

Christmas, with its emphasis on rest and reflection, is a great time for them to think on all that they faced in the previous year, make meaning of their experiences, and mentally prepare for the coming year. 

In an interview with republicasia, a few Gen Zs described some of their most challenging experiences, as well as how they value the opportunity to recharge this holiday break. 

We all have challenges

Reflection is the act of reflecting on one’s previous actions, experiences, and thoughts in order to acquire insight about oneself. It typically delivers a sense of knowledge about one’s history, present, and future.

Reymond Santos, a 25-year-old hospital admin, considers 2024 to be a challenge for many different reasons. Instead of exacerbating the situation, he chose to prioritize his own health.

“2024 was definitely a challenge in terms of repairing our familial connections. This wasn’t easy especially with the stress of work, the stress of having to juggle my time with my peers, and other daily factors,” Santos said.

“It was definitely challenging enough that I had to step back and drop certain things and to try to identify what my priorities are in such a busy landscape,” he went on to explain.

Kaitlin Kibtiani, 22, has found it difficult to navigate life this year. As a graduating student, it could potentially be difficult to think about the responsibilities you will face as well as your goals for the future.

“Out of everything I can point out, navigating life transitions and balancing multiple responsibilities are the ones that are really challenging,” she said.

Reflecting is important

Reflection can be difficult at times given that you have to deal with the thoughts that earlier swamped you in various ways; nonetheless, Kibtiani believes it is still necessary for her to analyze herself.

“Very important siya. Reflecting on things is a personal hobby that I enjoy doing. I usually do this to look back on how I dealt with the situation and what I could have done better,” she said.

“I do this so that when I enter a similar situation in the future, mas alam ko na kung ano ‘yong tama at dapat na gawin. Ganun din sa pag-reflect on what happened during the year.”

“It holds great importance because it’s a chance to have a better perspective on the matter,” added the fourth year BS Psychology student, on how much these reflections can help her in the future.

A perfect opportunity

Santos understands that festivities and celebrations will continue throughout the season. Along this period, realizations may sometimes strike in while we spend time along with our families and other loved ones.

“In my case, seeing my family, my friends, the work that I do, there are these tiny moments that just give me these sudden thoughts of reflection,” he said.

“Sometimes these “biglaang” thoughts could be along the lines of “wow this is nice”, to “I think this will get better”, and other things.”

“I think the Christmas festivities alongside the mood of it all helps people realize things in and out of their lives,” the 25-year-old went on to explain.

Year 2025 ready 

Some memories may have pushed us to our core, yet it is indisputable that they can help us prepare for the coming year. Bad memories, like those of these Gen Zs, may stay within this year, but all lessons will be carried forward.

“It’s okay to pause–rest and reward yourself. This is something I’ve put to heart just recently because I realized that during a huge chunk of the year, I kept on sort of punishing myself to keep on working and studying until I was tired,” Kibtiani said.

“And nung bugbog na bugbog na saka lang magpapahinga. This new year, I want to continue being kind to myself and pause when I want to, hindi lang kapag kailangan na, pero kahit kapag gusto ko lang,” she added.

Meanwhile for Santos, “Definitely, realizing things and reflecting on my efforts for others this year would help me conquer the coming year.”

“The holiday season is like this nice “wrap up” for everything. Just taking a step back and looking back at it all, that’s enough for me to set my priorities for next year and what I could start doing as soon as January hits.”

At the end of the day, reflecting on these memories is always a good thing to do before the end of the year. This would just fuel our passion, preparing us for a greater challenge in the coming years. 

This is also a reminder to all other Gen Zs to always prioritize one’s health, not only when you’re already drained out, but also in between hard periods and streaks throughout the year. After all, we deserve a hard-earned rest.