Creating Healthful Choices in 2026

It is early January, and though I think of summer as ‘New Year’ I still want to set goals and change things up at this time of year. Creating healthful choices in 2026 however, is not about rigid resolutions that leave no room for my mental health or my chronic illnesses that inevitably make my life hard to control. Instead, these goals and themes for the year will be rooted in moving with the seasons, compassionate and realistic. I hope that by doing this, I will have a year that is cosier, slower and happier, so let’s chat about it.

What “Healthful” Means to Me Now

Now, I am in my late 40s and well into the joy that is menopause, so I have long ago realised that rigid rules and resolutions never work. We all have stories of being in mid-January and already having failed at the new ideas and wants for the year ahead.

This year I want to start creating healthful choices in 2026, not trying to control my life but having plans for the year that will help not hinder me. And to be clear, health to me now does not mean what media thinks it should be! It isn’t about being skinny and buying things that keep the world going round.

Healthy to me means choosing what supports me, and my mental health rather than focusing on what looks good on paper. I have let go of the ‘all or nothing thinking’ that makes us give up and stop trying as soon as things don’t work out. This thinking will never work especially if you have mental or physical disabilities like I do.

It also means pacing my days, slowing down so that I have time to read between tasks, getting up earlier so that I can have more rest time and going to be earlier. This alongside shuffling around my week, so it flows better has already made a huge difference.

The Importance of Pacing

Pacing is a buzzword in the chronic illness community and is so hard to do when you have no idea how you will feel from day to day. But this year, I have realised that it is essential and not optional if I want to manage and prevent big flares.

This year I am planning to listen to my body, and I took a long hard look at my weeks to see where my triggers were. The main problem area seemed to be my anxiety disorder and how worrying about getting things done affected me.

By moving my week around, I am discovering more ease in my week so that I can slow down and be more present. I have been using an app called Flourish, to monitor my mental health and to set affirmations for the day. By doing this I remind myself that my mental health and lowering my anxiety triggers is important for managing my physical symptoms.

Rest then becomes a proactive choice and not a reward, or something I am forced into by how my body is reacting to what I am pushing it to do. Small, sustainable actions each day instead of constantly fighting what I am able to do, avoids burnout and flares.

Mental Health as a Daily Practice

So, when I started wanting to create healthful choices in 2026, I knew I needed to reframe how I saw the year ahead. I wanted to prioritise mental health and stop seeing my day through the lens of it being good or bad.

Instead, I am choosing to create small, simple anchors in my day that connect to my witchcraft practice. Having slow, quiet mornings, tea rituals, time offline, and leaning into creativity are all chances to prioritise the things that make me happy.

By doing this, I hope to reduce pressure on myself as a human in this world and as a content creator. I want to stop comparing myself or trying to be like other people and instead allow myself to not be perfect and have guilt when my plans don’t work out for a day or a week.

Goals That Flow With the Seasons

I think too often we feel like we need to be productive all year round, this does not make sense when we think of how animals live. They hibernate in the winter, so it makes sense that setting crazy goals this time of year often don’t work out.

Instead, creating healthful choices in 2026, I want to honour winter rest, allow renewal in the spring, get bigger plans in the summer and then take the autumn for reflection. By flowing with the year, and setting softer intentions that can move, and shift is so much more achievable than rigid yearly goals.

It also allows me to have seasons of doing less without guilt or feelings of failure that affects my mental health.

Choosing a Slower, Happier Life

Slowing down often, to the Western mind, feels like being lazy or unmotivated, but already I have found the opposite to be true. I used to be constantly pushing my body and my mental health to the max in order to get everything done.

By changing my week around so there is more time to rest and for hobbies, I am finding I am getting more done and more consistently. This has allowed me to find joy in the small, ordinary and quiet moments, and to create a life that feels good to live rather than just looking good online.

So, this January, I want you to feel able to start creating healthful choices in 2026, choosing a different pace over pushing our bodies as far as they can go. Remember, healthful is different to everyone, so reflect on what actually supports you this year. Be reassured there are no right ways to do this, but instead of resolutions maybe it is time to try a different way?

Thank you xx

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