A Little Truth About This Season & Looking Ahead to 2026
I want to say something out loud that we don’t hear a lot this time of year: sometimes this season is hard.
And I don’t mean “a bit busy” hard. I mean the kind of hard that sits in your chest. The kind that makes you feel like you’re doing the holidays wrong because you’re not feeling the Christmas spirit.
Every year we walk into this season carrying stuff nobody can see. Expectations. Memories. Grief. Family dynamics. Money stress. Loneliness. Exhaustion. If the holidays feel hard for you, you’re not alone.
The holidays always seem to amplify what’s already there for people.
If you’re worn down, this season highlights it.
If you’re grieving, it gets louder.
If family is complicated, that doesn’t disappear because there are lights on the house.
If you’re lonely, December can feel like a spotlight.
None of that means anything is wrong with you. It means you’re human in a high-pressure month.
If You’re Struggling Right Now, Read This Twice
You’re allowed to feel more than one thing. You can love parts of the season and struggle through others. That’s normal. That’s maturity.
Surviving the holidays counts. Some years, that’s the win. No gold star required.
You don’t have to perform joy. Real life doesn’t pause for December. Your nervous system knows that, even if the world wants you to pretend otherwise.
A Gentler Way to Walk Into the New Year
January is coming, and with it that loud “new year, new you” energy. I’m not into that. What I’d rather offer is this: New year, same you… with more compassion. More humanness.. More room to be a person, not a project.
Try asking yourself questions like:
What felt heavy this year that I don’t want to carry alone next year?
What do I want more of — peace, steadiness, softness, fun, rest?
What boundary would protect that?
What support would make that easier?
If this season is hard for you, I see you. You’re not behind. You’re not failing. You’re not the only one.
I’m not wishing you a perfect holiday. I’m wishing you a real one — with less pressure, more honesty, and moments that feel even a little like relief.
And if all you can do right now is get through the day in front of you? That is enough. That is brave. And you don’t have to do it alone.
Reach out if my team can help you, this season, this year, or whenever feels like the right time for you to feel a little lighter.