Four things you can do without to make 2026 less stressful
The world is filled with more noise than we can possibly manage, and adding more isn’t the way to muddle through. It’s time to take things off the table.
Opinion
By Donna McGeorge
January 9, 2026 — 5.00am
There’s a strange comfort in adding things. We add goals, habits, productivity hacks, subscriptions, responsibilities and expectations, hoping that if we stack enough “good” on top of the chaos, we’ll finally feel in control.
But if the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that the world is filled with more noise than we can possibly manage, and adding more isn’t the way through.
Stress wearing you down? There’s ways to make 2026 a better, more balanced year.Credit: Louise Kennerley
So for 2026, maybe the real question isn’t “what will you do” but “what will you stop doing?” What can you gently remove from your life so you can create a little more space to breathe, think, connect and feel whole again?
Below are four things most of us can do to make this year feel just a little lighter.
Ignore the idea of constant availability
Somehow, we’ve normalised the idea that every message deserves a rapid-fire response. A text dings while we’re cooking, an email arrives at 9.47pm, a group chat erupts with memes while we’re trying to sleep, and before we know it, we’re carrying around this low-level guilt that we’re always behind on something.
In 2026, try taking back pockets of your time. Remove the expectation that you must reply immediately, or that “being seen” equals commitment. Set small boundaries like an hour in airplane mode, a morning without emails, a weekend where your phone stays in a drawer. Most people won’t notice, but your nervous system will.
Ditch one obligation you no longer believe in
Some commitments continue long after their usefulness has expired - for example, a committee you agreed to join out of guilt, a recurring meeting that drains you, or a hobby you outgrew but keep around because you “should” stick with it because of the sunk cost of all the bits and pieces you bought. Or maybe it’s a relationship that’s become a chore instead of a connection.
Your energy is not infinite and not everything you said yes to in 2024 or 2025 deserves a place in 2026. Choose just one obligation that no longer fits the life you want to build and ditch it. It doesn’t need any dramatic announcement. There’s no need to tell everyone on Facebook that you are no longer going to be on Facebook. Just stop. Your time is too precious to spend on autopilot.