getting cozier with jacey: resilience & releasing the pressure of a new year

hiii homebuddies!!

i'm writing this in the first few days of 2026, which feels wild to say out loud. i know for some of you, it’s your first day back at work after some time off, hopefully this is a welcome email in your inbox amongst many others. when talking to some friends about how they were feeling in the last few days, a commonality was that there was a lot of anxiety so if you’re feeling this way, know that you’re not alone. there's so much pressure around january to hit the ground running, so let this be your reminder that you're allowed to ease into the new year at your own pace. if the new year motivation energy feels a fresh start for you, ride the wave!!! but if it’s making you feel urgent, anxious, or you feel the perfectionism creeping in….remind yourself you can begin again at any time. you don’t need a new year or a new month or a new week to live the life that you want. there will be seasons where living aligned to your values feels effortless, and times when it feels almost impossible….but wherever you’re at, trust that it’s temporary.

speaking of challenging seasons….if there's one word that comes to mind when i think about 2025, it's resilient.

this year was….a lot 😅. despite what my content leads you to believe, for a good 4 to 5 months of 2025, i really didn’t feel like myself at all. even though i finally had the freedom of being my own boss & my business doing better than ever, i was dealing with a bunch of health stuff behind the scenes that made it hard to get through the day. there were many nights of crying myself to sleep and days where getting out of bed felt impossible, but sitting here now, on the other side of some of those darker days, i'm realizing just how much strength i found in myself that i didn't even know was there. looking back - i’m so proud of the way i advocated for myself to get better support, testing, and finally get answers that i needed. & i’m happy to say that my physical and mental health is feeling better than ever before! i always pick a word of the year instead of setting resolutions, and my word for 2026 is devotion. to me this means ****really prioritizing the things that i care about, and treating the things that matter to me like rituals instead of things on my to-do list. i will def be sharing more of this in my content soon!

❣️ what i'm loving lately…

📚 reading: i just finished "Secret of Secrets" by Dan Brown and WOW it was soooo good - the pacing was crazy, i was captivated for all 700 pages. now i need some recs of what to read next so let me know what you're reading!! i need something good to dive into! (i have this page of recs from all of you if you’re needing something to read too!)

🎵 listening: this playlist i made on spotify called "juicy restorative shower" (yes that's the actual name 😅) - it's been my go-to for winding down after long days!

🎮 playing: obsessssed with the pokemon legends ZA game right now. ben and i have been playing it every night before bed. it's not really in my typical "cozy" category but i've played pokemon since i was little and it makes me feel so nostalgic 💛

🎨 creating: i've made SO many youtube videos lately that i loved!! i gave myself so much more freedom to make the videos i actually want to make and not be so focused on what will "do well" on youtube. some recent ones you might love:

• how to become a morning person in 2026 - the anti productivity morning routine with 5 things i do to have a better day!

• a snowy sunday in NYC - a cozy vlog with some of my friends around the city on a the first snowfall!

• a full reset cleaning & organization video if you need some motivation to tackle your space

• romanticizing a friday night alone sharing a typical night in my life!!

youtube is my faveee platform so it would mean the world if you went and subscribed!! (we just hit 5000 subscribers 🥲) lmk if there are specific videos you want to see from me in 2026!

💓 gentle reminder

if this past year was hard for you too, i see you. if you're heading into the new year feeling uncertain or tired or just not ready for all the pressure that comes with january, that's okay. you're allowed to move at your own pace. you're allowed to rest. you're allowed to not have it all figured out.

2026 will be here whether you have a perfect plan or not. so give yourself permission to just be exactly where you are right now. i promise you’re probably doing better than you think.

whether you’re new here or you’ve been here from the beginning, thank you thank you thank you for all your support 🤍 connecting with you means more to me than you could ever know, and i'm so excited to keep creating for you in the new year!!

stay cozy & be gentle on yourself!!!!

jacey 🤍

P.S. i'd love to hear - what's one word you'd use to describe your 2025? and what's your word for 2026? reply and let me know, i love hearing from you!! 💌