Welcome to 2026!
If you know me, you know I loooove me some goal setting, some personal development, some psychoanalysis. The feeling of a fresh start excites me. Many nights (since coming off Trikafta), I go to sleep giddy about waking up the next morning—excited about what the day will hold. I love sleeping, but I also love waking up. I usually hit the ground running / am firing on all cylinders / get the ball rolling / !idioms!, then hit my personal energy lull in the afternoon.
All that to say, welcome to 2026—a new beginning!
I’m jazzed about what this year will bring. Before I reveal my word of the year—I know you’ve all been anxiously waiting—I’ll give a quick health update.
After 14 days of oral antibiotics and 14 days of IV antibiotics (seven in the hospital), my doctor and I decided to stop antibiotics. We talked about doing one more week but instead opted to prioritize sleep. Woohoo!
I’m still in recovery mode, but I feel much better. I’ve been on steroids since December 6 and am slowly tapering down the dose. Yesterday I coughed more than I had in days, which was frustrating. So, let’s hope the steroid taper goes well. We tried to go down on steroids in the hospital but had to go back up due to my increased cough and shortness of breath.
I’ll give another health update in a few weeks when there’s a clearer picture of where I stand post illness-that-rocked-my-world.
Enough about that. Welcome to 2026!
I don’t know if I’ve ever done a word of the year before, but it’s time. After not-too-careful consideration, which will make sense in a moment, the word I selected is… *air leaves the room*
INTUITION
*thunderous applause*
I want to be my own guide—to follow my own instincts.
In recent years, I’ve realized that I derive my sense of self-worth from others. It’s why I people please, why I strive for accolades, why I’m constantly “shoulding” myself. And that lifestyle is so exhausting. I’m finally ready to accept that I’m valuable because I exist—not because of whatever list of accomplishments I can piece together.
If you are reading this, you, too, are inherently worthy because you’re you. Plain and simple. I want to be better at esteeming myself—knowing that I’m valuable regardless of how much I work, how long I nap, or how many different patterns I’m wearing.
For me, INTUITION means trusting myself without applying undue logic to things. It means letting go of what others think and believing that I know what’s best for me. It means making decisions that feel authentic and in alignment with my values. It means pausing and checking in with my body before I blurt “Yes” or “No.”
Trikafta dismantled my sense of self. After starting the medication, I spent years trying to convince medical professionals that something was sincerely wrong with me, only to be told, “You’re grieving,” or, “Everyone is struggling with mental health due to COVID-19.” I began to doubt my grasp of the thing I knew best: myself.
Deep down, my gut told me I needed to stop the medication—that it was the culprit behind my increasing Life Loathing. But I didn’t trust my intuition, instead looking to others to guide me through my own life.
Stopping Trikafta was the best thing that happened to me in 2025 because it significantly improved my mental health. The longer I’m off it, the better I feel.*
*minus the shortness of breath, coughing, IV antibiotics, etc.
And that’s why I’m leaning into INTUITION—to having faith in myself and my choices. Dang, this post is getting long.
So, welcome to 2026!
I don’t want to be on autopilot in 2026. I want to be in INTUITION mode. I want to check in with myself often so I can make choices that support my greater goals—of being my most authentic self, of bettering the world through writing, of bringing kindness to all my interactions.
Here’s to INTUITION!
Do you have a word? I’d love to hear it!
Leave a Reply