January 2026 Newsletter
- Jan 1
- 4 min read
Beginning the new year often carries a quiet mix of hope and relief. With this, there’s usually a pull toward fresh beginnings, while at the same time, the residue of everything the past year required of you. For many people, January doesn’t arrive with a surge of energy, but arrives with a deep exhale.
If you’re noticing that you feel tired in a way that rest hasn’t fully touched, you’re not alone. The transition into a new year can gently reveal how much you’ve been holding, managing, or carrying, sometimes without realizing it in the moment.
Rather than asking more of yourself right now, this season offers an opportunity to listen more closely. To notice what your body and nervous system might be asking for, as you step into the year ahead.
And that brings us to something many people are experiencing, but don’t always have language for: emotional exhaustion.
Please enjoy a beautiful composition of The Princess by one of my favorite Girdwood AK artists, Dawn Gerety. Feel free to check out her other spectacular paintings on her website by clicking the button below.
Compassion for Our Own Needs can Help us Refresh and Recharge
If you’re sleeping, resting, and still feel exhausted, it can be confusing or maybe even discouraging. Many clients tell me they’re doing “everything right,” yet still feel depleted, worn down, or emotionally flat. Often, what they’re experiencing isn’t physical exhaustion at all, but actually emotional exhaustion.
Emotional exhaustion doesn’t come from a lack of effort or resilience. It usually develops after long periods of holding it together, staying regulated for everyone else, and moving through life without enough space to repair or rest emotionally. Over time, the nervous system stays on high alert, and even small demands can begin to feel overwhelming.
What actually helps isn’t pushing harder or finding one more strategy to cope. What helps is slowing down enough to notice what your system is asking for.
For some people, that means having honest conversations instead of avoiding them. For others, it looks like allowing rest without guilt, or letting support in rather than managing everything alone. Emotional exhaustion begins to ease when the nervous system feels seen, supported, and no longer responsible for carrying everything by itself.
Healing often starts when we stop asking, “Why can’t I keep up?”
And begin asking, “What do I need right now?”
In 2026 set this Intention for your Relationships
“Living a life of repair” - I challenge you to make a resolution to aspire to this way of living and being in your relationships!
Healthy relationships don’t work because we never have conflict or hurt each other. They work because repair keeps happening. Research shows that it often takes several moments of repair to balance out a single moment of harm. And what’s important to remember is that we don’t always know when harm has occurred. Some ruptures are obvious like words spoken in anger or periods of shutting others out after conflict. Others happen quietly, through tone, distance, or what didn’t get said at all.
It’s important to consider that sometimes harm happens without either partner fully recognizing it in the moment. Life moves quickly, and much of what shapes our interactions happens beneath conscious awareness, influenced by the nervous system and past experiences.
When we only try to repair moments we clearly remember “messing up, ” we miss many opportunities to strengthen connection. Living a life of repair means choosing ongoing care rather than perfection.
That might look like expressing appreciation regularly, offering softness instead of defensiveness, or staying curious with questions like, “Did I miss something?” rather than defaulting to “I didn’t do anything wrong.” Repair is about choosing connection over being right, and understanding that impact matters, even when intention was good.
As we begin this new year, it may be helpful to just keep in mind that maybe now’s not the time for pushing harder, but just tuning into you and what you may need right now. Also looking to challenge yourself to a new way of thinking in your relationships. Develop that muscle memory of living a life of repair.
If you’re curious about support in these areas, I invite you to schedule a discovery call. It’s a simple, pressure-free conversation to explore what’s been weighing on you and whether working together feels like the right next step.
Aarne’s Update
Aarne is progressing well in his training journey with Nicole Forto from Alaska Dog Works. He has a big test coming up where he has to be able to perform 10 advanced behaviors. We’ll be sure to let you know how this goes!
Jodie’s Corner
After closing our downtown Anchorage office, our new space in Girdwood, Alaska is almost fully settled—and it’s been a refreshing (and honestly, energizing) shift for both telehealth and in-person work.
Telehealth has taken a big leap forward with a large monitor and telescoping stand that makes sessions feel “in the room,” even from many miles away. And for in-person clients, the drive to Girdwood along the Seward Highway has become part of the experience—those sweeping views of the Turnagain Arm have a way of helping your nervous system exhale before you even arrive. There’s something powerful about stepping out of your usual environment and into a setting surrounded by mountains and glaciers—it naturally supports a reset.
Inside the office, the Tea Station has quickly become a favorite, featuring beautiful teas from Elmwood Inn Fine Teas. Snacks are always on hand for that little boost of nourishment and grounding (our newest addition: biscuits—for the Anglophiles, and for anyone from across the pond or down under). And yes, I’m personally delighted by the new! beverage cooler stocked with signature Crossings Health—San Pellegrino, La Croix, and crisp bottled water.
This move—and the total change of scenery—has truly been a game changer, with the added option of outdoor sessions on Glacier Creek, when the weather cooperates. (At the moment, it’s about -7 and the backyard is officially 🥶, so we’ll call that “Coming Soon in the Spring.”)
All in all, the new space is already carrying a steady, welcoming, healing energy—and I’m so glad to share it with you. If you’re a former client and life has shifted since we last worked together, you’re always welcome to reach out. And to my fellow professionals and friends: thank you for your support, encouragement, and the community you bring to this work.
Don’t forget if this newsletter resonated with you, feel free to share it with someone who might enjoy it too!
