New Year Anxiety: When January Feels Overwhelming
- Melanie Sivley, LCSW
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
January comes with a lot of expectations. Suddenly everyone is supposed to feel motivated, optimistic, and ready to make big life changes. And if you’re not feeling that way, it can start to feel like something is wrong with you.
Personally, I’ve never been big on New Year’s resolutions. They’ve always felt performative to me. Like we’re all supposed to announce who we’re going to become on January 1st, whether or not we actually feel ready to make those changes. I’d much rather wait until I’m genuinely ready to commit to something meaningful than force myself into change just because the calendar says it’s time.
The pressure of resolutions
New Year’s resolutions often come wrapped in the language of self-improvement, but underneath that can be a lot of pressure. There’s this quiet message that says: you should be doing more by now.
When change is driven by pressure instead of readiness, anxiety tends to show up. It’s hard to create lasting change when it feels forced or rushed. And for many people, January becomes less about growth and more about feeling behind before the year has even really started.
Real change usually happens when something actually clicks for you — not when you feel obligated to keep up with everyone else’s goals.
Comparison culture
January is also prime time for comparison. Social media fills up with goal lists, gym check-ins, planners, and “this is my year” posts. Even if you know it’s curated, it’s hard not to measure yourself against it.
Comparison pulls focus away from your own timing and capacity. You might start wondering why everyone else seems so motivated, why your energy feels lower, or why you’re not as excited about starting fresh.
But readiness looks different for everyone. Just because someone else is making changes loudly doesn’t mean that pace or path is right for you.
Why anxiety often spikes this time of year
There are a few reasons anxiety tends to ramp up in January, and none of them mean you’re failing.
January usually comes right after a season of disrupted routines. Sleep, boundaries, and emotional regulation can all get thrown off during the holidays, and jumping back into structure can feel overwhelming.
There’s also a lot of reflection built into the new year. People naturally look back at what didn’t happen and ahead to what feels uncertain. For anxious minds, that can quickly turn into overthinking.
Add in shorter days, colder weather, and less sunlight, and it makes sense that anxiety can feel louder this time of year — especially when there’s pressure to feel motivated and positive.
A different way to think about January
If January feels heavy, maybe it doesn’t need to be a month of transformation. It can just be a month of listening.
Listening to what feels exhausting.Listening to what actually matters to you.Listening for when you feel ready — not when you feel forced.
You don’t need an arbitrary date to decide you want something different for your life. Change can happen in February, June, or on a random Tuesday when you finally feel grounded enough to commit to it.
You’re allowed to move at your own pace. You’re allowed to skip resolutions. And you’re allowed to choose self-trust over performative progress.
If anxiety feels higher this time of year, support can help you sort through what’s coming up and figure out what change might actually look like for you.
You can schedule a session with Bodhi Counseling when you’re ready to talk — no resolutions required.
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