When the Word of the Year Meets Real Life

"I thought choosing Rest & Reset would feel peaceful. Instead, it revealed how uncomfortable I am with slowing down."

How it’s actually going…

This is harder than I thought.

I’ve been telling the world that Rest & Reset is my word for the year—and yet, here I am researching, working, writing, creating. Am I sleeping? Yes. But not until 11:30… sometimes midnight… sometimes 1 a.m., knowing full well my alarm is going to ring in just a few hours.

Picture this: I’m stretched out on the bed in a burst of creative energy, surrounded by a pile of books, notebooks, planners, and—dangerously—a laptop balanced far too close to the edge. Thank God the laptop hasn’t met the floor yet.

What’s surprised me most about choosing Rest & Reset for 2026 is this: I thought choosing this word would force me into immediate action—or maybe inaction. I thought rest would just happen.

Instead, I’ve been met with resistance. And the truth is… I’m the resistance.

Each day, I catch myself asking, “Okay, what’s next on my to-do list?” I’m saying yes quickly—sometimes without pausing, without praying, without checking in with my body or my spirit.

And yet…

I feel relief when I finally put the pen down.

Relief when I shut the computer.

Relief when I pop a big bowl of popcorn and watch old episodes of Murder, She Wrote or get pulled into my latest K-drama obsession.

I feel relief when I actually get in the bed and go to sleep.

Here’s the reality: I still have a 9–5. I still have deadlines, events, church activities, and family group chats. I still show up for others—through cards, texts, calls, prayers, and what I lovingly call “off-the-clock therapy” with my community.

Rest doesn’t cancel responsibility. But rest also doesn’t give me permission to overwork myself into the ground.

What I’m noticing matters.

I notice the tension in my neck. I notice that I’m holding my breath instead of intentionally attuning to it. I notice that I’m more jumpy, more easily triggered.

And so, instead of forcing myself to “get it right,” here’s what I’m practicing:

• Saying no (okay… let’s be honest—working on saying no)

• Leaving something unfinished

• Choosing consistency over intensity (my simple a.m. and p.m. facial routine counts)

• Being honest about what I’m feeling instead of masking it (I lost my mama y'all, I wake up in the middle of the night calling her name and crying. Ask my husband if you don't believe me.)

If you chose a word for this year and it’s taking longer than you expected to live it out, let me say this clearly:

You are not failing. You are not behind.

Sometimes the reset doesn’t come loudly. Sometimes it doesn’t look productive. Sometimes it happens quietly—one boundary, one pause, one honest moment at a time.

That’s exactly why I created the Rest & Reset Journal and the Gentle Reset Calendar for January—not to rush myself or anyone else, but to offer a place to feel seen instead of shamed… real instead of rushed.

We’re allowed to learn our word as we live it. Peacefully, Dr. Mel