Rejecting New Years Pressure -

Happy New Year dear readers, and welcome back to the blog! As we step into 2026, I wanted to talk about how important it is to let go of negativity about who you are or were in the year before. Rejecting New Years pressure and the idea that we are not enough unless we are trying to change everything about ourselves. The pressure to have a new routine and way of eating and to be perfect at it or give up does not work so lets talk about a different way of starting fresh.

A wreath of greenery is seen surrounding the words Happy New Year in light grey against a cream background to represent rejecting new years pressure — Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Right now, there are a million adverts, TV shows, YouTube channels and blogs encouraging us to have the ‘New Year, New Me’ attitude. The idea that who you were at the end of the year was not doing well, and now you need to get fit, eat right and start a new hobby to do better.

But let’s be honest, we were not being wrong or bad, we were enjoying Christmas and yes eating mince pies and chocolate but that’s ok. It is ok to have a break in winter and to enjoy good food with friends and family, to think otherwise is not being fair to yourself.

This way of thinking often feels overwhelming and inaccessible when we are disabled, chronically ill or dealing with low spoons. I know that is how it feels to me, and this year I don’t want any of us to feel this pressure, this is an invitation to pause and reevaluate, not to push. We are not behind, we are allowed to move and change differently to this.

Why New Year Pressure Doesn’t Work for Everyone

Often, society follows a very linear path, everyone knows they overindulge at Christmas then hit the gyn in the New Year ready for a bikini body in the summer. This way of living does not work for everyone though and having productivity-based goals clashes with fluctuating health, energy and caregiving responsibilities.

Rejecting New Years pressure, is not giving up, and it does not mean we don’t have goals and things we want to achieve when a new year comes around. I know I have goals for my blog, my YouTube channel as well as for me personally and in my witchcraft practice.

Gentle living and self-care matter so much more and seeing the year ahead as a path to be navigated instead of a race to be run will serve us so much better. With our health as a guide, we can lose weight should we want, we can make healthier diet choices, we can move our bodies more, but none of it should come at a detriment to our health.

Choosing Reflection Over Reinvention

So, this year, instead of following the crowd to dream of fitting into the perfect body and suddenly having immaculate mental health, let’s choose something softer!

At the end of last year, I made the decision to not let the season get me down, I would instead do all I could to honour where I was and the season I was in. Because of this decision, I actually enjoyed Yule and the Christmas season for the first time in years.

This small change, came from a period of reflection when I felt that seasonal dread creep in, and I think this is the key to having a better 2026. Reflecting on how I feel about myself, my diet, my body and what is and is not working for me instead of what society wants me to think has changed everything.

Following my intuition, noticing what I need to support me and give me the best life possible is how I am looking to set goals for my year ahead. I am rejecting New Years pressure because I know that by seeing the year to come as a path instead of a list of goals and expectations will be more sustainable.

I want a slower life, with more rest, more time to read, and less flares of my symptoms but to do that I also need to slow my expectations. It is through changing my lifestyle that real change comes, and that is achieved by looking at things in a way that can be sustained even if I need a day in bed or I have a migraine.

Letting the Path Reveal Itself (Instead of Forcing It)

Listening to my intuition more has changed my life, I know what my body needs and what I want in life, but too often through my life I have pushed that aside. Society can often shout louder at us that the inner voice that should help us to navigate this world.

Listening inward and trusting that things happen as they should, with a trust in slow steps forward is so much healthier. Rejecting New Years pressure, refusing to rush, and especially not punishing myself if I cannot do things how I have imagined or planned.

This is not about performative transformation; it is about changing how we live so that we can have a better and more healthful life. Maybe this means asking family or friends to help with batch cooking and freezing meals? Using a slow cooker to make stews and soups? Doing exercises seated or in bed? Thinking outside the box so that you can have a better chance of achieving your dreams and goals, it might take longer but you are much more likely to achieve them!

So, this year join me in rejecting New Years pressure and instead make small changes that support your health and wellbeing. Rest is valid, and you don’t need a full and busy January to be worthy or meaningful. Listen to your body and realise that you know what is best for you, and if that is not what society is trying to force you into, that’s okay. I am planning to spend January quietly making choices that support me and not fighting against my body and my illnesses. Whatever your goals, I hope you know there is no rush to achieve, there is no expiry date on doing your best.

Thank you xx

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