Word of the Year 2026 - A Gentle Guide by Nurtured Minds Wellness- Therapy and Retreat Group
Why We Choose a Word Instead of a Resolution
Resolutions often come with pressure - be more, do more, fix more.
They focus on performance and perfection.
When life gets busy or hard, they can quietly whisper: you failed.
A Word of the Year is different.
It’s not about control- it’s about connection.
Your word becomes an anchor you can return to when the year feels fast, uncertain, or overwhelming.
Where resolutions push, a word grounds.
Where resolutions restrict, a word expands.
How to Find Your 2026 Word
There’s no wrong way to do this - just gentle curiosity.
You can sit with these prompts, journal them, or take a walk and notice what rises.
✨ What feeling do I want to experience more often this year?
🌿 What does my nervous system need more of?
💛 What am I ready to release from 2025?
🔥 When I imagine my life in rhythm, what words describe that energy?
🌙 If 2026 had a theme song, what would its lyrics sound like?
Let words float up - don’t force them.
Notice what softens your body when you say it aloud. That’s your clue.
Word off the Year Examples to Inspire You
Grounded Words – Rooted • Steady • Restore • Balance • Enough
Growth Words – Bloom • Expand • Open • Courage • Rise
Heart Words – Trust • Connect • Nurture • Love • Belong
Rest Words – Ease • Flow • Breathe • Gentle • Space
Energy Words – Spark • Move • Play • Create • Joy
Integration Words – Align • Embody • Return • Whole • True
Your word doesn’t have to sound perfect - it needs to feel true.
How to Use Your 2026 Word
Write it somewhere you’ll see it daily - a mirror, phone note, or candle label.
Check in monthly: How is this word showing up in my life right now?
Let it evolve. Sometimes the word changes- that’s growth too.
Bring it into therapy - our clinicians love using words of the year as anchors for nervous system and identity work.
A Closing Reflection
This practice isn’t about who you’ll become,
it’s about how you’ll be with yourself while becoming.
Here’s to a 2026 rooted in presence, not perfection.
The Nurtured Minds Team 💛
