Hi Reader,
Has 2026 has felt like trying to move through a swamp?
You're not alone.....keep reading.
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I don't know about you but this past holiday break I think I almost merged with my couch.
My back would literally hurt from just laying there for so many hours.
I'm not a huge TV-binging person but I easily finished 3 shows in record timing......my personal favorite being Heated Rivalry (the obsession is so real - Iykyk).
And it wasn't just that I was a couch gremlin......
It was that I didn't feel like doing ANYTHING besides laying around.
In some ways I felt almost a little lost; like I was floating around and generally just very out of it.
I had no drive to work, to do any sort of healing or reflection or really any of my usual modalities or practices.
Some of it made sense due to just it being that time of year when work is slower and the world in general has just slowed down but even in the past when that's been the case, I've still always been a very introspective and reflective person........so this was something else.
When I shared my experience with my friends and community, it turned out that many of them felt the exact same way.
And then one night I had a wild dream: me and a couple of people in my life saw a massive snake and as it slid very slowly past us, we saw that it was in the last part of shedding its skin.
When I woke up I immediately looked up details around a snake shedding its skin and was reminded that before a snake sheds it:
- Turns lethargic
- Hides
- Refuses to eat
- Eyes turn cloudy
And then it all clicked.
Besides my eyes turning cloudy - although who knows, maybe they did with the amount of TV I watched - this was essentially what I (and many others) did or at least felt like doing for most of the holidays......and honestly in some ways, even still now.
For those of you who follow the Chinese Zodiac / Chinese New Year, we've been in Year of the Snake since January 29th 2025 and it doesn't end until February 16th, 2026 (then it will shift into Year of the Fire Horse).
I personally follow the Chinese New Year timing since the Gregorian calendar has our "new year" starting in the literal dead of winter when absolutely nothing is trying to come to life and everything is asleep.
Which means that we are *still* in the last bit of Year of the Snake.
A year that has been immensely defined by deep personal transformation, endings, shedding of old beliefs, relationships, identities, behaviors and anything else that doesn't align with the next more evolved / aligned version of ourselves.
And I don't know about you but it was an incredibly intense year of all of those things where it felt like every other day there was something to grieve, process and let go of either in my personal life or in the collective.
It was / has been relentless and often times, ruthless.
So, of course it makes sense that me and so many others were / are exhausted.
That we are lethargic, a bit unfocused and needing to somewhat hide / hibernate.
It's been a long year - honestly a very very long couple of years - and we are at the tail end of some major cycles individually and collectively.
Many of us have done immense amount of healing and reflection this year; we've been forced to change and let go whether we've felt ready or not (I got ✨dragged✨ multiple times).
Our metaphorical skins have been preparing to shed for all of this time and now like the snake, we are in that period of time right before the final shed.
We might even be experiencing some final lessons that are echoes of what we have been learning and letting go of this year.
So, like I said in the beginning of this, if you are feeling low energy, lethargic, unfocused, unmotivated, unclear and like you are in a void.......
I want to validate that not only are you not alone, that you're also exactly where you're supposed to be.
And as I read recently:
"You do not need to chase the next version of yourself. You only need to sit long enough to feel what is ready to fall away."
Obviously life keeps life-ing and we keep showing up in the capacity that we can - I'm not saying not to do that - I'm simply giving a reminder, context and an invitation for some self-compassion as to why (amongst hundreds of other reasons) things, including you, might be feeling like they're moving in slow motion right now.
Here are a few resources that have supported and continue to support me during this time of shedding and beyond:
- Laying / Resting on my back at least 2x /day for 20 mins: In Traditional Chinese Medicine we are in kidney season. Resting and laying on your back helps to replenish kidneys
- Lily Choi Natural Healing: Traditional Chinese Medicine for herbal support
- Walking without talking on the phone, listening to music or a podcast - just simply being present
- The Floss: Fascial Flossing to unwind and release the deepest parts of my body and fascia
- Creating and communing with The Everyday Artist community to stay connected with other creative people and keep my creativity moving and nourished
And here are a couple of journal questions I am lightly reflecting on:
- What part or parts of me have shed (died) this last year?
- What is still asking to be let go of, released or shed?
- What actions (or lack of action) can I take to support this release?
- What emotions does that bring up in me?
- How might I honor these feelings and/or these lingering parts of myself or my life?
I know so many of us are over it (I get it) but we are so close to a new cycle, a new era and new energy so just try to stay with it - slow down, rest more when you can, talk to your people and be gentle with yourself.
The time for big steps, brave action and "new me" energy will be here sooner than you think and trust me, you'll be glad you took the time to release as much of the old s**t as possible so you could begin the next chapter clear and anew.
Feel free to reply back and let me know if this resonates or what your experience has been!
Sending a lot of care,
Bianca