2025 didn’t just feel hard - it felt like it broke us. For many, the last twelve months weren't about thriving; they were about barely surviving the most intense shifts you may have ever faced.

If you’re stepping into 2026 feeling quieter, more cautious, or less excited than usual, this conversation is for you. Nikki breaks down why the last two years felt so intense, why your "survival mode" is still active, and how to move forward with momentum that brings safety, not just barely surviving.

This is not a hype-filled "new year, new you" episode. It’s a grounded reframe based on science, psychology, and a bit of astrology for anyone who is still recovering, while trying to start fresh.

LISTEN AND LEARN:

• Why the last two years felt so intense and exhausting (including the neuroscience)
• How the pressure of 2024 and the shedding of 2025 set the stage for 2026
• What the Year of the Snake actually meant, and what the Year of the Horse brings next
• Why so many people lost jobs, relationships, identities, or certainty in 2025
• What long-term stress does to the brain and nervous system
• Why survival mode makes it hard to feel excited, motivated, or hopeful about a new year
• Why 2025 left so many people feeling lost, confused, or alone
• Practical tools and prompts to rebuild safety and trust within your nervous system
• Why this isn’t the year for resolutions, and what to focus on instead to create momentum

NOTABLE MOMENTS:

• "The Snake year was about shedding skin you didn’t even know you were wearing. The Horse year is about learning how to move again in a body that feels different."
• “If you don’t feel excited yet for 2026, good. Excitement comes after safety, not before.”
• "After long stress, your nervous system does not trust ease yet. The brain looks for safety before expansion. This is why people feel hopeful but cautious for 2026."
• "Horse energy is not grind energy. It's forward motion, freedom, and momentum through consistency, not force."

This episode is for anyone who got through last year (even if it meant barely keeping your head above water), but doesn’t want to carry the same patterns into the next one.

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Connect with Nikki on Instagram @nikkisharp and check out her latest coaching, program, and offerings at www.nikkisharp.com.

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If this resonated, please share it with someone who had a heavy year, too.

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