Preparing for 2026 by Looking Inward
As 2025 comes to a close, many of us are noticing something familiar yet uncomfortable: that blend of excitement, anxiety, and pressure that tends to show up right before the new year. If you’ve felt that knot in your stomach while thinking about 2026, you’re not alone. This season can stir up questions like Am I doing enough? Am I ready? Did I even meet my goals for this year?
But here’s the truth: preparing for the new year doesn’t have to mean rigid resolutions or even intentions. It can be as simple and as powerful as pausing to reflect, looking at your new year anxiety with compassion, and gently considering how you want to move into the next year of your life.
Why the New Year Feels So Heavy
A lot has happened in 2025, globally, politically, and maybe personally. Conversations about community, showing up for others, politics, and caring for our collective well-being are now part of everyday life in ways they haven’t been before. This, along with balancing careers, families, and financial uncertainty, the new year can feel like both a fresh start and another item on the to-do list.
If you’re already stretched thin, the pressure to create grand resolutions for the new year can feel overwhelming. This year, I encourage you to take a different approach, one rooted in reflection.
Step One: Reflect Without Judgment
Instead of rushing into “what’s next,” take a moment to look back on 2025. Reflection is not about judging yourself for what you didn’t do; it’s about noticing patterns that can guide you forward. Ask yourself:
What brought me joy or peace this year?
What drained me or left me feeling disconnected?
What surprised me about myself in 2025?
This practice of new year reflection helps reduce anxiety because it shifts the focus from fixing what’s “wrong” to understanding what already works for you.
Step Two: Move Away From Resolutions
One of the most helpful ways of coping with new year anxiety is to release the pressure of resolutions. The resolutions we typically think of tend to be rigid and focused on “fixing” ourselves, things like “lose weight,” “make more money,” “achieve XYZ.” But here’s the thing–you don’t need “fixing,” and you don’t need to start 2026 by overhauling your entire life.
Instead, think about how you want to feel. Do you want to feel calmer, more connected, or more purposeful in the year ahead? When you begin with feelings, your choices for the year, big and small, become more meaningful and sustainable.
Ready to Start Your
Therapy Journey in 2026?
Step Three: Think About Community Connection
As powerful as it is to turn inwards, it’s also incredibly impactful to look beyond ourselves. We may not always have money to give, but we do have time, skills, or presence that can make an impact.
If you want to engage more with your community in 2026, consider:
Volunteering at a hospital, animal rescue, or soup kitchen.
Offering your creative or professional skills to a nonprofit.
Supporting local events or checking in on your neighbors.
Volunteering can be an accessible way to feel more grounded, connected, and purposeful. Studies consistently show that helping others improves mental health, reducing feelings of isolation and anxiety—something we can all benefit from in our often disconnected digital world.
Step Four: Give Yourself Grace
Mental health often suffers under the weight of perfectionism. The idea that we must have everything figured out at the start of the year is unrealistic (and frankly exhausting.) Instead, give yourself permission to adapt. Your reflection and intentions for January may look different by June, and that’s okay. Flexibility is part of healthy growth.
Starting Therapy in the New Year in Charlotte, NC
As a therapist, I often hear clients say they feel anxious around the new year. They want to do things differently, but the pressure of making the “right” choices keeps them stuck. My encouragement is always this: preparing for the new year isn’t about setting yourself up for perfection. It’s about noticing what matters to you and creating space for it, tiny step by tiny step.
Coping with new year anxiety is less about having a flawless plan and more about building self-awareness and compassion. When you release the pressure of resolutions, you open yourself up to more intentional living.
If you need a helping hand for the end of this year or the beginning of next, I’d be honored to be that person. If you’re a resident of North or South Carolina, please don’t hesitate to reach out for a complimentary 30-minute phone consultation. I’d love to learn more about you and what your hopes are for the new year.
I would like to be clear that this blog post is not intended to substitute for professional counseling. If you are in need of support, please consider speaking to a professional counselor.
Cheryl D. Perry MA LCMHC LPC NCC
