Happy New Year, my friend.

We are eleven days into 2026, and this is the first Resilience in Real Time newsletter of the year. I’m noticing that I’m not sprinting into January the way I used to. Instead, I’m easing myself into this new year slowly, intentionally, with breath.

January has a way of convincing us that urgency is equivalent to commitment. We rush to declare, to prove, to produce. And then, quietly, many of us are exhausted by March. I’ve been reminding myself repeatedly that there are twelve full months in a year. Fifty-two weeks. Three hundred and sixty-five days. There is time.

This year, I want to move with the urgency of yesterday and the patience of a thousand years. I want to honor the fact that meaningful change doesn’t come from panic or pressure, but from presence and consistency. Even with audacious goals sitting in front of me, I am choosing to begin gently.

My word for 2026 is embody.

For me, this year is about stopping the search and starting the practice of being. Being with my body. Being with my breath. Being with my truth. Being with the version of myself that already exists, instead of constantly reaching for the next iteration. Embodiment asks something different from us. It asks us to stay.

Before we go any further, I’d love to know:

What is your word or intention for 2026?

One of my quiet morning rituals right now is sitting with The Pivot Year by Brianna Wiest, a collection of 365 daily meditative writings. I read a passage each morning and journal before the day begins. These are a few lines I’ve been holding close:

• I will no longer participate in my own suffering.
• The journey is not how you place down what’s weighing on you, but how you learn to stop picking it up.
• Self-protection is learning how to take a pause between what you feel and how you react.

I don’t read these as affirmations to rush toward, but as invitations to return to myself, again and again.

So here are my prayers and manifestations for you this year:

May you be at peace.

May you be at ease.

May you release your familiar unhappiness, the patterns that feel safe simply because they are known.

May you speak to yourself with compassion and gentleness.

May you always be on your own side.

May you have the courage to stay in the moment, even when it’s uncomfortable, and stop reaching for emotional crutches to soothe what needs tending.

And may all the lover girls meet healthy, fulfilling, and nurturing love this year, in all the forms it can take.

And please remember this, especially on the hard days:

So far, you have survived every single one of your worst days.

If you feel called to slow down with me, I’d love for you to join The Art of Stillness on Friday, January 23, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. It’s a space to breathe, reflect, and practice being, without fixing, striving, or performing. Register here.

You can also grab your copy of the Coming Home to Yourself 30-Day Digital Journal if you’re craving structure that still feels gentle and grounded.

Here’s to a year that is full of love, honesty, and embodiment.

With care,

Dr. Alice