January Check-In: A Gentle Guide to Reconnecting with Yourself and Others

Lifestyle |
6 min read

Written By

Jessica Buck

Published

January 09, 2026

Medically reviewed by

Alyssa Dweck MS, MD, FACOG, MSCP, Chief Medical Officer

January often arrives with a pressure to “start fresh.” However, for many women in midlife, that kind of reset may feel more exhausting than motivating. Between hormonal shifts, changing energy levels, , and evolving roles at work and at home, this start of the new year may call for something softer: a pause to notice where you are before deciding where to go next.

Rather than pushing for transformation, consider carving out a gentle January check-in with yourself. Consider taking an hour or so to acknowledge your inner world and how you are engaging with the people who matter most.

It may seem like the demands of the winter season, especially after the holidays, are too much at times, which is why slowing down enough to listen to your body may help to support your emotional well-being during the menopause transition.¹

Honor Your Emotional Wellness

After the intensity of the holidays, you may be approaching January feeling a little emotionally depleted or unexpectedly down. During menopause, you may notice that those feelings may feel heightened and perhaps you’re a bit more irritable or anxious than usual..

Fluctuating hormones experienced during perimenopause and menopause may heighten your sensitivity, lower your emotional resilience, or make you feel “off” .”^2,3 In reality, nothing may be inherently wrong, rather, you may be moving at a pace that is unsustainable for your body.⁴

Instead of judging these shifts or trying to push past them, consider evaluating how you feel with curiosity vs. criticism.⁵ If you’re feeling stressed, you might notice more negativity and self-critical thoughts increasing at first with a sense of pressure to perform, like “I should feel more motivated right now” or “I should have more energy.”⁶ Whenever we tell ourselves we “should” do something, it tends to be shame that tries to motivate us to take action rather than genuine care.⁷ When we allow shame to drive us for too long, it may lead to burnout because it increases our body’s cortisol stress responses.⁸

To invite curiosity instead, consider asking yourself:

“What feels like it’s too much right now?
“What do I need to help myself feel better?

Acknowledging what feels like “too much” is the first step toward achieving a sense of emotional honesty and gentle self-compassion.⁹ That second question then invites you to connect with fierce self-compassion to resolve any unmet needs and engage in self-care.¹⁰

It’s recommended that we curate both the gentle and the fierce forms of self-compassion and self-care as. this can allow us to feel comforted, recentered and then enable us to take action.¹¹ One without the other may leave you feeling unsteady and unsupported.

Building a Habit of Listening to Your Inner Voice

Years of caregiving and constant productivity may have quietly pulled attention away from the inner needs of many women during the menopause transition. Over time, this can make the act of listening to yourself feel unfamiliar, (or even indulgent) when, in reality, it’s a skill that you can learn and relearn, not a personality trait you either have or don’t.¹²

Reconnecting with yourself in during menopause often begins with you noticing body-based symptoms or changes and emotional shifts.¹³ These cues may include fluctuating energy levels, increased irritability or mood swings, or even a growing desire for solitude and an independent space for your own hobbies.

Midlife Self-Reflection Practices for More Clarity

Simple practices may help rebuild this important self-connection to your body and your needs, such as conducting a brief morning body scan to help you notice how you’re feeling as you wake up. A body scan doesn’t need to be formal or time consuming. Upon waking up, take time to notice how your body feels, moving your attention from your head down to your feet with curiosity rather than judgment. Note to yourself internally: Are you feeling rested or foggy? Open or tight? Energized or slow?¹⁴

The goal of a body scan isn’t to label sensations as good or bad—or even to change anything at all—but rather to be present and aware. Simply naming sensations—without fixing, pushing, or judging—helps rebuild trust and creates a clearer sense of what you may need that day.¹⁵

If you enjoy journaling, there’s a writing exercise you may like to consider called “Morning Pages,” created by author Julia Cameron. You simply need to open up a journal and allow yourself to write in a stream of consciousness-style, first thing in the morning. The goal is to allow your experience to flow as you write, without critiquing or editing anything. Let it be messy and unfiltered!¹⁶

These small shifts can help to create a more responsive relationship with yourself, supporting your emotional well-being through this transitional period of your life.

From Isolation to Presence: Creating Mindful Connection Habits with Others

Midlife may bring about different social circles for some women—not because connection matters less during menopause, but because it’s not unlikely that your energy and emotional capacity feel a bit more limited. A lot may be influencing your ability to connect with others—work demands, caregiving needs, feeling disconnected from yourself, or even a fear of vulnerability—may make reaching out feel heavier than it once did.

Consider exploring some mindful connection habits that offer a gentler alternative to staying isolated, by shifting your focus from quantity of connections to quality. This might look like one intentional reach-out each week. Share simple rituals such as a walk, a voice note, or a brief check-in with a good friend or close family member. Recognize if you feel like you are in “over-giving territory” when you already feel depleted. This may mean you need time to re-connect with yourself in a nourishing way before you can give outwardly. When connection feels reciprocal and sustainable, it becomes a source of emotional support rather than another obligation, helping you feel more present and balanced.¹⁷

Savor the Start of January

The start of a new year doesn’t need to be a month filled of fixing or proving anything about yourself. Instead, it can be a quieter beginning—one that allows space for micro-rest, reflection, and savoring the little things.

A gentle new year wellness reset is less about setting goals and more about noticing what supports you right now, guided by your natural rhythms, rather than external expectations. This may look like tending to your emotional needs through calming activities ,offering your body physical nourishment, like a 10-minute chair yoga session or a warm meal, or nurturing meaningful connections in ways that feel safe and reciprocal, like a quick voice note to a friend.

When you lead with self-compassion and allow yourself to meet your needs, care becomes the focus. January can be an opportunity to meet yourself with patience instead of pressure as we head into the new year.