Fear has a way of disguising itself as caution, logic, or even “good timing.” Yet, beneath those layers often lies something much more human: the discomfort of stepping into the unknown.

Every January, millions of people set New Year’s resolutions with the hope of transforming their lives. Yet by February, many find themselves slipping back into old habits. The truth is, lasting change is hard—but with the right approach, your resolution can become more than a fleeting wish.

As we approach the closing month and weeks of the year, we are often reminded that this is a festive and joyful period. Yet for many, this period brings a quiet melancholy. As the calendar turns, people reflect on what has passed, what was lost, and what remains uncertain. Recognising these feelings is the first step toward compassion—for ourselves and for others.

As the end of year holidays approach, it’s a good time to prepare ourselves mentally and emotionally for what is to come. At first glance, the holidays aren’t usually something we’d normally consider having to prepare for, unless we have a trip planned; and we tend to think this is a period of relaxation and fun. Coupled that with the coming new year, there is a tendency to assume there are things worth celebrating.

Typically, when someone is referred to as a commitment phobe, the general assumption is that they have an irrational fear of being in a committed, long-term relationship. While this can be true, a lot may be lost in that assumption.

Feeling overwhelmed is typically a sign that you have things going on in your life that you feel you have no capacity to properly manage. It’s normal from time to time to feel this way and can even be a signal for you to stop what you’re doing and start taking steps to alleviate yourself of things that may be contributing to you feeling this way.

We have often talked about how happiness is so important to so many of us and in the past, we’ve touched on what it looks like to sabotage our own happiness.

Anxiousness over the future is something that is common and pretty much everyone has to deal with it in some capacity or another. It’s called anticipatory anxiety and is seen as a common response to uncertainty over what is to come. While it can sometimes feel overwhelming and uncomfortable, some degree of worry over the future can actually help us to better prepare ourselves for the uncertainty. Worry about the future can be an issue once it becomes excessive.

Throughout our lives, we make decisions, big and small. These could deal with what we eat to what career field to go into, and who we marry and build a life with. There is a tendency to think we’re doing all this by ourselves for ourselves, but we may not have really thought about how much of our life trajectory and decisions are done for us by other people. This can lead us to doing things that don’t always align with what we truly want for ourselves.

The holiday seasons are time for festivities, family get-togethers, meeting friends, and just having a good time. With such merry mood and holiday spirits everywhere, some may not realise that there is such a thing as the holiday blues. It’s not an urban legend or a tall tale, it is a real problem that people go through during the holidays, and it can be very serious. It even has a name: seasonal affective disorder (SAD).