As we enter 2026, the familiar refrain of ‘new year, new me’ returns, carrying with it a slew of resolutions that rarely survive the first few weeks. The issue, however, is not a lack of ambition or discipline.
It lies in the habits that quietly persist, shaping daily life long after the calendar has changed.
With 2025 fading away, experts point to a systemic problem that also needs to be left behind. Exhaustion has become normalised, driven by endless scrolling, performative productivity, trend-led consumption, and increasingly blurred boundaries between work and rest.
Many enter the new year already depleted, trapped in cycles of constant improvement and consumption that leave little room for genuine fulfilment. Rather than chasing reinvention, letting go of what drains us may be the more practical — and lasting — place to begin.
Here, experts flag some traits to kick out and replacements to usher in:
Buy necessities, not relevance
One of the most visible habits to rethink is buying things simply to feel caught up. From viral products to aesthetic trends that disappear as quickly as they appear, 2025 witnessed the rise of what can be described as “manufactured obsessions”.
Sociologist Sanjose A Thomas notes that in an online ecosystem where young adults spend five to eight hours a day, platforms are designed to feed users exactly what keeps them engaged, and spending.
“Things are packaged, promoted, and amplified until they feel unavoidable,” he explains. “Not participating often brings with it the fear of being sidelined or left out, turning consumption into a form of social currency.”
The habit to adopt instead is intentional spending. Life coach Deepa Divaakar suggests creating a pause between impulse and action.
Simple practices such as waiting 24 to 48 hours before making non-essential purchases, noticing emotional triggers like boredom or comparison, or asking a grounding question — such as, ‘Will this enhance my life, or just my image?’ — can significantly alter spending behaviour. Over time, buying less but buying consciously can shift self-worth away from possessions and back towards lived experiences.
Switch off autopilot
Another habit deeply embedded in daily life is mindless content consumption. Scrolling through feeds without questioning what we absorb has consequences far beyond lost time.
Psychologist Bindu G Nair notes that excessive digital consumption affects attention span, critical thinking, and emotional regulation.
Constant comparison and performance pressure can heighten anxiety and stress, while over-dependence on AI-generated outputs risks dulling common sense and independent thought.
“The alternative is mindful consumption, not digital detox. Being aware of why you open an app, or setting small boundaries such as avoiding scrolling during meals, can restore a sense of agency,” says Bindu.
Staying informed about real-world events without falling into doomscrolling loops helps protect both mental health and perspective. As Bindu emphasises, knowing one’s values and respecting cultural sensitivities matter most.
Live in real time
The urge to document everything — from meals and sunsets to the simplest conversations — has reshaped how moments are experienced. Online culture increasingly encourages people to perform their lives for an audience, blurring the line between public and private.
Sanjose points out that deeply personal or emotional moments, once kept private, are now publicly shared. “Everything is being catered to an audience,” he says, warning that future generations may struggle to understand where privacy begins.
The habit to leave behind is experiencing life primarily through a screen. What to adopt instead is presence.
Keeping phones aside in social settings, delaying sharing, or choosing not to post at all allows moments to be fully felt rather than packaged.
Deepa recommends anchoring attention through the senses — noticing sounds, textures, or smells — to stay grounded in the present.
Feelings attached to memories are, after all, far more meaningful than yet another social media post.
Snuff out burnout
Productivity culture thrived in 2025, equating hustle with self-improvement. Filling every day with goals, routines, and output may look impressive, but it often leaves little room for rest or joy.
Bindu says the psychological drivers behind this include fear of failure, the need for validation, and the belief that worth must be earned through constant doing. Over time, this mindset leads to burnout rather than growth.
The habit to adopt is redefining productivity. Growth does not have to be loud. Rest, stillness, and even boredom play vital roles in emotional balance and creativity.
Deepa suggests scheduling rest as intentionally as work, reframing it as fuel rather than failure.
“Giving oneself credit, practising kinder self-talk, and allowing life to be enjoyed one day at a time makes growth gentler and more sustainable,” she says.
No to toxic work culture
Many young professionals continue to push themselves beyond capacity or tolerate toxic behaviour at work in the name of loyalty or relevance. However, societal expectations of the ‘ideal employee’ are undergoing significant change.
Sanjose observes that “blind loyalty is being replaced by critical engagement”. “Employees who raise questions and contribute to meaningful change are increasingly valued over those who silently endure,” he says.
The habit to cultivate is boundary-setting rooted in self-worth. Knowing one’s limits and communicating expectations early can prevent resentment and burnout.
Deepa emphasises focusing on impact rather than hours, pausing before saying yes, and detaching self-worth from overworking. Accepting unhealthy behaviour often reflects how much one values oneself. “It’s a realisation that can reshape career and confidence,” she says.
Watch out for AI-dependency
While AI has become an indispensable tool, 2025 also revealed the risks of over-reliance. Treating AI as a therapist, medical adviser, or substitute for independent thinking can be harmful.
Bindu warns that excessive dependence can weaken critical thinking and emotional regulation. The habit to embrace is conscious use.
“AI works best as a support tool — for efficiency, brainstorming, or learning — not as a replacement for human judgement, creativity, or professional expertise,” she says.
“Seeking trained experts for medical or psychological concerns remains essential, as does remembering that humans are creatures of thought, driven by the ability to reflect and create.”
Choose ‘glimmers’ over triggers
Many people carry unresolved stress from past experiences or become easily overwhelmed by daily pressures and digital overload, often suppressing emotional triggers rather than acknowledging them.
This can intensify anxiety, stress, and emotional exhaustion, making it harder to stay present or find calm.
To counter this, the habit of noticing and cherishing small moments of joy — or “glimmers” — must be cultivated.
The term ‘glimmer,’ was coined by Deb Dana, a clinical social worker based in Australia, who in her 2018 book, The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy, defined the term as ‘feel-good’ moments that help to calm the mind.
“We are wired to respond more intensely to negative experiences than equally intense positive ones. We have to actively look for, take notice of, and keep track of these moments, or micro-moments, of safety and connection that are our glimmers,” she notes.
Experts suggest journalling what brings calm, making gratitude lists, appreciating simple sensory pleasures, or just pausing to savour everyday moments.
“Actively seeking glimmers helps regulate the nervous system, reduce overreactions, and gradually build emotional resilience,” says Deepa.
“Furthermore, mindfulness in daily life strengthens this process by allowing space to respond intentionally rather than react impulsively.”
Awareness over grit
These habits share a common thread: lasting change is less about discipline and more about awareness and self-compassion.
Bindu says awareness helps individuals recognise obstacles, and patterns that hold them back, while self-compassion creates the space needed for positive change.
Harsh self-criticism, on the other hand, often reinforces the very habits one wants to escape. Mindfulness, Bindu explains, plays a key role in psychological well-being.
Practising presence reduces anxiety, lowers stress, and helps people engage with positive thoughts instead of being overwhelmed by fear of the future.
Deepa echoes this, noting that mindfulness “does not demand perfection — only intention”. With 2026 here, perhaps the most important habit to adopt is sustainability over speed.
“Letting go of constant comparison, protecting one’s attention, and allowing growth without self-punishment may not look dramatic, but they can completely transform how life feels,” she says.
Well, in a world obsessed with doing more, leaving behind what drains us may be the most radical resolution of all.