There’s a rhythm to New Year’s resolutions.
After the swirl of the holidays—visits, gatherings, planning, wrapping, cooking—January can feel like the first opportunity you have had to breathe, reset and think about anything beyond getting through the next event. The schedule lightens and space opens up. Minds have room to regroup and consider the year ahead. You may find yourself wondering where you want to be, what you want to keep doing, and what you hope to change.

But this year, we want to gently invite a different approach.

What if your New Year’s resolution didn’t wait until the new year?
What if you gave yourself something now—before the holidays—that helps you not just get through the busy season, but enjoy it with more energy, resilience, and joy?

Because instead of thinking,
“I can’t possibly start anything new right now…”
we invite you to consider:
“Why di I risk waiting any longer to get started” 

The Resolutions That Actually Change Our Lives Don’t Wait for January

Over the years, I’ve made plenty of classic New Year’s resolutions. One of my favorites was when my husband and I decided we wanted to see more live theatre—this led to several years of unforgettable performances while we lived in London.

But the most meaningful shifts in my life didn’t happen in January.
They happened in ordinary moments—those surprising flashes of clarity when something important became unmistakable. When I realized, “This needs to change… and I need to start now.”

Those insights were subtle but powerful.
They have shaped how I approached work, family, time, health and energy.
They were the kinds of realizations that—once they appear—make waiting feel unnecessary.

And yet, that’s often when hesitation creeps in.

You see the path forward.
You want to take it.
But something inside whispers, “Not yet. Later. When things calm down.”

Here’s a questions to ask yourself, which may give you hopeful shift your perspective:

Why wait to do something that reduces your daily struggle and enriches your life?
Why delay feeling healthier, more energized, more capable of doing the things you want to do?

Small changes—especially the right ones—don’t just add up.
They can alter your entire trajectory. And the impact can start to be felt within a few weeks. 

Why wait until January to begin, when you can start with small steps now and feel the initial benefits before the New Year?  

When Life Is Full, Starting Feels Hard… But It’s Exactly When It Matters 

The holiday season can feel like a lot—especially when you’re living with Long COVID or a chronic condition that makes energy unpredictable. Full calendars, noisy rooms, grocery store trips, travel, hosting, navigating symptoms… it all builds.

Many people we work with tell us the same thing at the beginning:

“I’m worried I won’t have the energy to do the program.”

This is such an honest, human place to be. When your system is taxed, even positive change can feel daunting. And it can create a painful loop that means people are stuck:
You want to feel better… but you feel like you need to feel better before starting something that might help.

The reality—quiet but powerful—is this:

It’s the act of starting that gives you the energy to keep going.

Not the other way around.

One small step opens the door - and gives you energy - for the next.
Then the next.
And before long, what once felt challenging becomes a path you can walk with surprising ease. A path that propels you forward. 

This is especially true during the holidays, when pacing feels even harder and your schedule fills with things you care about but aren’t sure you have the capacity for. It’s frustrating to have to pick and choose. But you don’t have to face the season unprepared.

So… Where Do You Actually Start? (Hint: With Something Simple.)

We always recommend beginning with three small tools that help to regulate your nervous system, support ease of movement, and loosens the tension you have been carrying for weeks, months or even years. Tools you can use anytime, anywhere, and take less than a minute. All three together take under five.They give you energy, reduce the stress and the fight-or-flight response that keeps your body out of recovery mode, and improve your brain-body connections. 

Individually, they are simple and powerful.
Collectively, the benefits multiply to give you even more impact.

1. Eyes — Resetting your visual system to shift your nervous system state

Your visual system drives much of your autonomic response (like heart rate, breathing, digestion and more). Changing how your eyes move can nudge your system out of fight-or-flight and into rest and repair mode - decreasing stress, boosting energy levels, and helping you feel more like yourself.

2. Ankles — Your built-in balance system

Your ankle proprioceptors speak directly to your brainstem and vagus-adjacent pathways. Gentle ankle tilts or mobility work increases a sense of stability internally and externally.

One participant shared:
“I managed a wave of dizziness in the grocery store by doing ankle tilts.”

A tiny action, huge and immediate impact. 

3. Arms — Ease upper-body tension lifting wait off your shoulders

Experience the power of opening the “arm lines”, staring at your finger tips and going down your side to ease tension, and help your system move out of a reactive state. The benefits go beyond your arms - you may feel lighter in your sides, shoulders, neck and head. 

A Five-Minute Gift to Yourself

We’ve put all three tools into a short video guiding you through each one in under 7 minutes —so you can try them anytime you choose (now might be a good time), especially when the day ahead feels full or your energy levels are dipping.

3 Tools to Stat to Manage Your Symptoms  

Once you know the tools, doing all three of them together takes under 5 minutes and is very gentle.

Truly.

In the midst of everything the season brings, consider giving yourself this small daily gift.

Because the truth is:

The best time to begin caring for yourself differently is the moment you decide you’re ready for something better.

And if you’re reading this, maybe that moment is already here.

Warmly,
Katie & Andrea

Related Blog posts: 

The Power of Simple Solutions

Gaining Abilities and Maintaining Them to Manage Long Covid Symptoms 

Finding Joy While Managing Symptoms During the Holidays

Where Do You Want to Be This Time Next Year?