January Isn’t Hard. We Make It Hard.

If I hear one more person say “I’ve got to be good” or “I’m being good this week”, I might scream.

Actually, I’ll probably just cry.
Because it’s not funny. It’s sad.

And yes, I’ve written about this before. The whole being good narrative. It remains my biggest bone of contention. Possibly tied with detox teas and anyone who thinks willpower fixes burnout.

Somehow, we’ve decided that balance is a personal flaw. That enjoying food, eating enough, resting, or not white knuckling our way through January makes us bad. As if health is a moral exam and carbs are a cheating scandal.

Bad for eating bread.
Bad for missing a workout.
Bad for not shrinking ourselves into an Instagram friendly version of “wellness” that survives on beige meals and quiet misery.

January has become the month where women, especially women, put themselves on a very public, very unforgiving trial.

The verdict is always the same. Restrict harder.

Entire food groups disappear. Calories are slashed. Energy drops. Moods tank. Social lives quietly die. And we call it discipline, when really it’s just self punishment with better branding.

Let’s say the quiet bit out loud. This isn’t health. It’s a hangover from diet culture that refuses to leave the party.

And it doesn’t even work.

Studies repeatedly show that most restrictive diets fail long term. The majority of people regain the weight they lose, often within a year or two, and many end up heavier than when they started. Not because they lacked willpower, but because humans are not designed to live on restriction, stress, and resentment.

Chronic dieting ramps up cortisol, disrupts sleep, messes with digestion, and increases food obsession. Add January pressure, low daylight, work stress, and the mental load women already carry, and you’ve basically created the perfect recipe for burnout… with a side of guilt.

Yet every year, we act surprised.

Personally? I personally never do anything radical this January. No reset. No cleanse. No “new me”. I just aim to continue to do what I do all year round.

That’s the bit that rarely goes viral. Sustainable habits aren’t built in a month of misery. They’re built slowly, realistically, and maintained over time. Not imposed. Not forced. Not fuelled by shame.

Health is not a moral badge. You don’t become “good” by making yourself miserable. Balance doesn’t need to be earned.

So if January feels heavy, maybe it’s not you. Maybe it’s the pressure. The noise. The outdated narrative telling you that suffering equals success.

And maybe the most rebellious thing you can do this month is give yourself a break, eat enough, move in ways that feel supportive, and stop treating January like a punishment you have to survive.

You’re not failing.

The story is.