Let It Out: What We Need to Exhale Before We Inhale 2026

A note from Stacy Fritz

I don’t know about you, but I caught myself holding my breath more times than I care to count last year.

It was nothing dramatic...a pause before an email, a clench in my jaw during a hard conversation, or a moment where I realized my shoulders were practically earrings.

And then, it hit me:
Was I bracing my way through last year? Me? Not breathing through it?😳

Maybe.

So, before we jump into 2026 with all the goals, plans, and energy a new year brings…
I want to take a moment with you. A pause...

To exhale...

To let go of whatever didn’t get finished.
To release the tight grip of expectations.
To soften the parts of us that tried to do it all, be it all, fix it all.

I’ve chosen a word to guide me into this year: Intentional.

I don't think I’ll get it all right all the time. I know I won't😉.
But, I do want to be more awake inside my choices.
I want to respond, not react.
I want to show up, not just go through the motions.

So I’m asking myself (and maybe you too):
What needs to be exhaled before you can truly inhale what’s next?

A regret?
A pattern that’s not sustainable?
A story you’ve been telling yourself that no longer fits?

You just might need a release.

Let it out.

Take a walk and cry.
Write it down and tear it up.
Exhale it on a long, slow breath.

And when you’re ready to inhale 2026, let it be with more presence.
More purpose.
More of you.

Wishing you peace in your pause,
and clarity in your next breath.

xo, Stacy