Welcome to 2026. Welcome to wherever you are right now — in your healing, in your journey, in your capacity. If you’re entering this year with hope mixed with hesitation, I see you. If you’re carrying both dreams and doubts about what’s ahead, that’s okay too. You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to show up as you are.

This year, we’re doing things differently around here! We’re choosing to be rooted and ready — grounded in who we are and what we need, while staying open to whatever comes our way. Not with pressure to be perfect or productive, but with intention to honor our capacity and protect our peace.

Rooted means we’re not swaying with every expectation, guilt trip, or comparison. We’re planting ourselves firmly in our truth, our boundaries, and our values. We’re letting our roots go deep so that when life gets heavy (and it will), we're not easily shaken. Ready means we’re not waiting for permission to live on our own terms. We’re not postponing joy until we feel “better” or delaying rest until we’ve “earned” it. We’re showing up for ourselves now.

So here’s to a year of coming home to ourselves. Here’s to choosing gentleness over guilt, boundaries over burnout, and community over isolation. Thanks for being here. Thanks for choosing to do this journey together.

Let’s stay rooted. Let’s get ready. Let’s make 2026 the year we finally put ourselves first.

Let This Be the Year You Finally Find Out What Happens When You Put Yourself First

You smile through symptoms. You downplay your pain because you don’t want to be too much.

You learn how to exist in a body that doesn’t cooperate while the world keeps spinning like nothing’s wrong. Living with chronic illness teaches you to ignore yourself. You push through fatigue. You smile through symptoms. You downplay your pain because you don’t want to be too much.

But here’s what I’m learning: Ignoring myself doesn’t make me stronger. It makes me smaller. So I’m choosing differently now. I’m choosing to honor my capacity, not apologize for it. I’m choosing to protect my energy like it’s the sacred resource it is.

And you know what? I feel more like myself than I have in years. This season reminded me of my power — not the kind that comes from doing more or proving more. The kind that comes from knowing who you are and refusing to shrink.

You are allowed to come home to yourself. To put your needs first. To stop waiting for the right time to start living on your own terms. The right time is now, friend. The permission you’re waiting for? Give it to yourself.

So here’s my question for you: What energy are you bringing into the new year? I’d love to hear from you. Drop a comment or reply and tell me: What word, intention, or energy are you claiming for this year? What are you releasing? What are you protecting?

Let’s hold each other accountable to living rooted, intentional, and unapologetically ourselves. Here’s to putting ourselves first — not out of selfishness, but out of sacred self-preservation.

Here’s to staying rooted.

A Guide for Coming Home to Yourself

These practical, gentle tips help you honor your body, protect your energy, and stay rooted in what matters — no matter what your capacity looks like today.

1. Create Your Energy Inventory
Take 10 minutes to list activities, people, and commitments in three categories: Energy Givers (things that fill you up), Energy Neutrals (things that feel manageable), and Energy Drainers (things that deplete you). Use this inventory to make intentional choices about where you spend your limited energy.

2. Write Your Permission Slip
Write yourself a literal permission slip: “I, [your name], give myself permission to rest without guilt, to say no without explanation, and to put my needs first without apology.” Keep it visible — on your phone, your mirror, or your journal — and read it when guilt tries to creep in.

3. Establish Non-Negotiable Boundaries
Identify 2-3 boundaries that protect your wellbeing and declare them non-negotiable. Examples: “I don’t schedule anything before 10 a.m.,” “I take Sundays off from social obligations,” or “I stop answering work messages after 6 p.m.” Communicate these boundaries clearly and hold them firm.

4. Build Your Low-Spoons Menu
Create a go-to list of activities that honor your capacity on low-energy days. Examples: 5-minute breathing exercises, listening to a favorite playlist, voice-noting your thoughts instead of writing, ordering takeout instead of cooking, or asking for help with one task. Having options ready removes decision fatigue when you're already depleted.

5. Create a “No Explanation Needed” Script
Prepare simple, kind responses for when you need to decline invitations or requests: “I’m not able to commit to that right now, but I appreciate you thinking of me,” or “I need to prioritize rest this week.” Practice saying these without adding justifications, apologies, or detailed medical explanations. Your no is complete as-is.

6. Release Productive Guilt
Write down every “should” running through your mind about what you think you need to accomplish. Then cross out anything that doesn't serve your actual wellbeing or values. Repeat this affirmation: “My worth is not measured by my output. I am valuable simply because I exist.”

7. Choose Your Word of the Year
Select one word that will anchor you through the year — something that reminds you of who you’re becoming and what you're protecting. Mine is ROOTED. Write it somewhere you’ll see daily. Let it guide your decisions, your boundaries, and your intentions. Return to it when you feel off course.

Meet Crystal Bedoya

@crystalbedoya
Arizona

Give us the highlights — who you are, what you’re into, and how does your disability fit into your story?

Hi y’all! I’m Crystal Bedoya, an Arizona-based storyteller, content creator, freelance writer, and chronic illness advocate who leans into vulnerability with purpose. I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) when I was 11 years old, which means chronic illness has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. MS is unpredictable and ever-changing, affecting my mobility, vision, and other parts of my body in ways that aren’t always visible. Managing it often feels like a full-time job: doctor’s appointments, constant battles with insurance and pharmacies, symptom tracking, and learning to adapt when my body doesn’t cooperate. It’s exhausting, but it’s also shaped who I am.

As a first-generation Latina with Spanish-speaking parents, I grew up navigating complicated medical systems while also translating and advocating for myself and my family. That experience taught me resilience at a young age and pushed me toward storytelling as a way to process, educate, and connect. I use my platform to talk about disability, access, and the emotional weight of living with an invisible illness without losing my sense of humor or my passion for fashion and adventure.

I believe chronic illness doesn’t cancel out joy; it just changes how we experience it. Dancing, disabled fitness, traveling, tracking down the best matcha/hojicha spots, and sharing real moments online help me reclaim my body, joy, and my narrative. My goal is to create content that feels human, relatable, and affirming, especially for fellow spoonies who don’t always see themselves represented.

How does your disability manifest? What are your main symptoms?

I have an illness called multiple sclerosis, or MS. It’s something that happens inside my body and brain, even though you can’t always see it from the outside. MS makes my brain and body struggle to communicate with each other, much like when a video game controller stops working properly.

Some days, my body feels exhausted, even if I didn’t do much. Other days, my brain feels foggy, like trying to think through a thick cloud, and it’s hard to remember things. My hands or body might shake, or parts of me can feel numb or weak, like they’ve fallen asleep and won’t wake up. I also feel pain in my nerves that can feel like burning or stinging, even though nothing is touching me.

MS can also affect how my bladder works, which can be humbling, but it’s just another way my body works differently. Because of my MS, my body doesn’t always do what I ask it to do, and that can feel frustrating or strange. It’s almost like being outside my own body sometimes.

Even though you might not be able to see my illness when you look at me, it’s always there. I feel it every day. My body just works differently than other people my age, and that’s okay. I’m learning how to listen to it, take care of it, and be patient with myself.

What’s your wellness mantra?

I honor my body’s pace and celebrate the small victories: each step, dance, and matcha-filled moment is strength in motion. Even when my MS acts up, I choose joy, curiosity, and compassion for myself as my everyday revolution.

What’s a small victory you’ve celebrated recently, and how did it make you feel?

I recently transitioned from using a Foley catheter to intermittent catheterization, a change that was both traumatic and transformative. After five years of constant uncertainty, pain, and disappointment, this experience forced me to slow down, listen to my body, and give myself grace through moments that were awkward, vulnerable, and humbling. Healing isn’t linear, but choosing myself, even when things felt overwhelming, made every step of this journey worth it.

Who or what inspires you to keep going, even when things feel impossible?

My family. My friends. The incredible community that I have been built because I dared to be vulnerable and share about my diagnosis five years ago. They ultimately showed me the love and support 11-year-old Crystal dreamed of having when she was first diagnosed. I am lucky to have such an incredible support system.

What makes you poppin’?

What makes me poppin’ is my ability to simultaneously hold space for joy and trauma. I discovered how to be myself in my disabled body without the need to shrink myself to be understood. I turn my vulnerability into connection, blending my identity as a disabled baddie with style, humor, and movement, especially when life becomes a challenge. Despite the constant challenges, I share what it looks like to live, adapt, and thrive while living with MS.

🛍️ Products of the Month: Grip Socks - 4 Pack

I don’t know about you, but I went into full-on hibernation mode during the holidays and it’s been hard to come out of it. Truth be told, I love it here! Lol. These Grip Socks are the perfect adornment for your tootsies on a cold winter’s day. These lounge-ready socks merge plush warmth with practical design — cozy knit fabric on top, silicone‑style non-slip grips on the soles, and our signature logo patch on each side.

They come in four elegant, neutral tones (White, Light Grey, Heather Grey, and Deep Grey), so you can lounge in style whether you’re on the couch or traipsing to the kitchen for a snack. Designed intentionally for folks living with chronic illness or disability, these socks offer a blend of comfort, safety, and subtle glamour — because you deserve softness that supports you.

📚 Relevant Reads: January 2026

🎥 Currently Watching

📅 January 2026 Calendar

• 🍽️ Be Kind To Food Servers Month

• 🎗️ Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

• 🥛 Dry January

• 🎨 International Creativity Month

• 🛼 National Skating Month

• 🥰 Self-Love Month

• 🚶🏾‍♀️ 20: Take a Walk Outdoors Day

• 🎶 21: Mariachi Day

• 🫂 21: National Hugging Day

• 🌶️ 22: National Hot Sauce Day

• ✍🏾 23: National Handwriting Day

• 🤣 24: Global Belly Laugh Day

• 💚 26: National Green Juice Day

• 👩‍❤️‍👨 26: National Spouses Day

• 🏝️ 27: National Plan for Vacation Day

• 💭 29: Freethinkers Day

• 🦓 31: International Zebra Day

💌 Friendly Reminder

✨ The ChILLness Chronicles is a cozy corner of the internet, created with love for the chronically chill and their cherished ones. Every post is a gentle reminder that life doesn’t stop with a diagnosis — you can still create, dream, and thrive on your own terms. And, of course, community makes the journey lighter. If this space speaks to you, consider subscribing to receive new posts and support this work — then share this edition with a friend who could use a little extra chILL in their life. 💛