Tuning out to tune in: listening to your energy

It’s 2026.

How's your New Year energy?

Are you feeling rested, or just getting through each day?

We think January has a way of whispering questions. Not the loud, urgent kind — but the types of questions that emerge in the evening, when the day slows, and your body has more space to speak.

If you’re struggling with your energy, motivation or sleep, you’re not the only one. This doesn’t mean anything is wrong — it just means your body is recalibrating.

When December is full of events, meetings, socialising and rushing about, holiday pressure can creep in and deplete our energy levels in the aftermath. Our sleep cycles can change for the worse — whether we’re getting more or less rest. 

So, instead of pushing through, pause and listen closely.

Checking in with you

How do you feel when evening arrives — relieved, restless, or ready to stop?

Do you feel imbalanced, foggy, or sluggish?

What is your body asking for more of right now — warmth, rest, or quiet? 

Sometimes the most useful New Year’s resolution is simply recognising what your body is trying to tell you. If it responds to these questions, let the answers lead you.

Letting evenings change

January is often expected to be a productive month. Going above and beyond, accomplishing what was left in the previous year, working on routine, diet and fitness, all in attempt to establish a ‘better’ self.

Have you ever questioned who, or what, is asking this of you?

Whether good or bad, winter evenings tend to disagree with this productivity hype.

Darkness comes earlier. Temperatures drop. Our bodies naturally start to wind down sooner. Rather than resisting this shift on the grounds of a new year, let’s ground ourselves season to season. Adjust accordingly:

Earlier dinners. Cosier clothes. Softer lighting. Slower transitions into bed.

Allowing evenings to change doesn’t mean giving up on structure — it means working with the season we’re in. Not only is it a way of keeping our bodies in tune with nature, but (trust us) it’s easier.

Earning rest (just by being alive)

Especially in January, we revisit predetermined notions of how to live.

There's this silly idea that rest should be earned. Once our to-do list is complete, once our space is spotless and after productivity is ‘proven’.

Question this. We can reframe how rest actually works.

Rest can be preventative, not just restorative.

Rest can arrive before exhaustion.

Rest can be chosen without justification.

Rest can be top of the to-do list.

This year, let allowing yourself to rest be the kindest thing you can do (even the most productive). For you, for how it helps you interact with others, for how it allows you to function, and for your mental and physical wellbeing.