New Year, Same Energy: Why Rest is My January 1st Tradition

"Rest is your birthright. How you start your year matters. So start it rested. Start it rooted. Start it from a place of peace."

Hey Friend,

I’m currently writing this from the comfort of my bed where I’ve been resting and binging Gossip Girl since yesterday. And let me just say, it was one of the best days ever. 

While most people probably woke up yesterday morning ready to hit the gym, meal prep, and get a jump start on their 2026 “New Year, New Me” goals, I chose to spend the first day of the new year being still and giving my nervous system the reset that it needed. Especially after these past few weeks of creating holiday magic and managing toddler meltdowns, crash outs, and tantrums. But that’s a whole ‘nother story for a whole ‘nother day. 

And as I sit here in my bed, baby free (shout out to my parents for keeping Sweet Pea for a few days), it occurred to me that this is the second year in a row where my lover and I spent New Year’s Day—which also happened to be our anniversary—in full relaxation and restoration mode. 

Last year, we decided to treat ourselves to a spa day complete with 90 minute massages and quiet time, followed by lunch and spending the rest of the day at home curled up on the couch with a bottle of wine. It was the soft start that we didn’t know we needed. But something shifted. 

Starting the year with rest as opposed to hustle became a resounding theme. It reminded me that I don’t have to be overproductive to prove my worth and that slowing down is strategic, not lazy. So, this year, we (unknowingly) continued the tradition. Because as we know, rest is resistance, rest is a ritual, rest is restorative, and rest is required. 

Rest is the foundation for everything that comes next. 

We live in a society that has this unhealthy obsession with hitting the ground running on January 1st. Gyms are packed, planners are perfectly color-coded, and everyone is fixated on being a newer, better version of themselves before even taking the time to fully process who they were the year before. 

And listen, I get it. I've been there. I've been the person who woke up on New Year's Day armed with a vision board, a detailed plan, and the desperate need to prove I was serious about change. But what I've learned (and am still learning) is that anxiously rushing into the new year exhausted and ready to crush our goals is simply not the flex we think it is. 

We’re doing nothing more than setting ourselves up for a quick burnout before the end of the first quarter. 

But rest? Rest on the other hand, clears your mind, grounds you, and reminds you to be intentional. While spending a glorious January 1st resting, I chose to enter the year from a place of fullness and setting the tone for how I want to spend the next 365 days: easeful and graceful. It’s also reminded me that rest doesn’t have to look a certain way or come with its own set of rules and restrictions. 

For me and my lover, our New Year’s Day rest looks like eating whatever we want, whenever we want, napping for however long our bodies require, re-watching our favorite comfort shows, enjoying our respective spaces in our home, and doing our own thing, which includes a whole lot of nothing on purpose. 

Friend, if you're reading this and thinking, “I wish I had spent New Year's Day resting,” make a note for next year. Start planning your own January 1st rest ritual for next year, right now. Whether that looks like a spa day, a couch day, or just staying in bed with your notifications turned off and favorite comfort snacks, tv shows, and beverages, give yourself that gift.

Because here's the thing, rest is your birthright. And how you start your year matters. So start it rested. Start it rooted. Start it from a place of peace. 

Your mind, body, spirit, and year ahead will thank you. 

With Love,
Racquel