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10 Things to Start Doing in 2026 to Create More Joy and Peace

If you want more joy, balance, and emotional ease in your life—especially if you tend to over-give, struggle with guilt, or feel responsible for keeping everyone else comfortable, listen up!

These changes may sound simple, but simple doesn’t always mean easy—particularly if you’ve spent years showing up for others before yourself.

As you listen, I invite you to choose one or two practices to focus on this year. You don’t need to do all ten at once. Sustainable change happens one small step at a time.

10 Things to Start Doing in 2026:

1. Check in with yourself before you say yes
   Pause. Check your energy, your calendar, and your needs before committing—rather than agreeing automatically and figuring it out later.
2. Honor your energy instead of constantly pushing through
   Rest is not a reward. Building real rest into your day helps prevent burnout, illness, and emotional exhaustion.
3. Allow discomfort to be part of personal growth
   Growth often feels uncomfortable. Learning to stay present through discomfort helps you build resilience and confidence.
4. Notice when guilt shows up even though you’ve done nothing wrong
   Someone else’s disappointment does not automatically mean you’ve done something wrong.
5. Speak your needs without over-explaining
   Your needs and wants are valid. Practice stating them clearly in one or two sentences—no justification required.
6. Choose peace over approval
   You don’t need everyone to understand or agree with your choices for them to be right for you.
7. Release roles that are keeping you small
   You are more than the helper, fixer, or peacemaker. Tap into other roles to find more balance.
8. Trust the small inner nudges again
   Your intuition is not broken. Even when things don’t work out, you are learning and refining—not failing.
9. Allow joy without feeling like you have to earn it
   You’re allowed to experience joy even when life is hard or the world feels heavy.
10. Practice compassion toward past versions of yourself
    Growth includes missteps. One moment of being out of alignment does not erase years of progress.

Work With Me

If you’d like support turning these practices into real, lasting change, I’d love to help.

👉 Book your free clarity call here to see if you might be a good candidate for coaching:
https://calendly.com/maryannwalkerlife/freeconsult

We’ll explore what you’re navigating and see if coaching together is the right fit.

Don’t Forget to Subscribe

Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss next week’s episode, where I’ll be diving deeper into separating guilt from discomfort—a huge theme for emotionally sensitive, over-responsible people.

Links Mentioned in This Episode

• 🎧 Last week’s episode: 10 Things to Stop Doing in 2026 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2028767/episodes/18509028
• 🎧 Episode 188: Choosing Joy with Natalie King https://www.buzzsprout.com/2028767/episodes/18158644
• 🎧 Episode: You Are Not for Everyone (And That’s Okay) https://www.buzzsprout.com/2028767/episodes/11162078
• ✨ Work with me: https://www.maryannwalker.life
  
  
• 📩 Join my weekly newsletter: https://maryannwalker-life.kit.com/fbd72512dd

Remember: you don’t need to do all ten of these at once. Pick one or two, be patient with yourself, and trust that small shifts create powerful ripple effects.

You’ve got this. 💛

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10 things to stop doing in 2026 to help you to breathe easier, feel lighter, and take up the space you deserve.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Stop over-owning other people’s emotions
• Stop saying yes when you want to say no
• Stop over-explaining your boundaries
• Stop ignoring the needs of your body
• Stop minimizing your needs to keep the peace
• Stop confusing empathy with self sacrifice
• Stop assuming conflict means you've done something wrong
• Stop seeking permission to take up space
• Stop abandoning yourself in the name of love
• Stop believing healing needs to be hard

Challenge for the Week

Reflect on where you might be overextending, people-pleasing, or ignoring your needs. Then, take one small, practical step toward stopping that behavior this week. For example:

Subscribe!

Purchase my Should I Stay or Should I Go? Journal here: https://maryannwalker-life.kit.com/products/should-i-stay-or-should-i-go-journal

Work With Me

If you’re ready to move past old patterns, release blocks, and cultivate a life that truly lights you up, I offer 6 & 12-week coaching programs designed specifically for highly sensitive people and recovering people-pleasers. We’ll work together to:

• Remove what’s holding you back.
• Build tools to support sustainable change.
• Step confidently into a life of joy, clarity, and self-compassion.

Schedule your free 30-minute clarity call today to see if we’re a good fit: https://calendly.com/maryannwalkerlife/freeconsult
or email me directly at maryann@maryannwalker.life

Don’t Forget to Subscribe

Make sure you’re subscribed so you can catch next week’s episode: 10 Things to Start Doing in 2026 to create more joy, freedom, and balance in your life.

Links Mentioned in This Episode

• Free Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/maryannwalkerlife/freeconsult
  
  
• “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” Journal: https://maryannwalker-life.kit.com/products/should-i-stay-or-should-i-go-journal
• Previous Podcast Episode with Kami Orange on Setting Boundaries: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2028767/episodes/18273512
• Episode on Urgencies vs. Emergencies: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2028767/episodes/14601572

Send us a text

Struggling to set boundaries as a highly sensitive person? You’re not alone. In this episode, boundary coach Kami Orange shares 19 years of experience helping people stop people-pleasing and start saying what they mean—with clarity, kindness, and confidence.

Kami reveals practical boundary phrases and scripts you can use immediately, including how to say no without guilt, respond to difficult requests, and navigate family, work, and social situations. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by overgiving or unsure how to assert yourself, this episode is for you.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The four boundary choices: Silence, Indirect, Direct, and Extremes—and when to use them
• How to say no in a soft but firm way that protects your energy
• The HSP-friendly boundary framework: “I can’t do X, but I can do Y”
• Real-life examples for handling overcommitment, money requests, and challenging conversations
• How understanding communication styles and cultural differences can make boundary-setting easier

Challenge for the Week:
Pick one area where you tend to overgive and practice a boundary phrase from this episode. Notice the difference between a weak no and a strong no—and how it empowers your yes.

Work With Me:
Create a life free of guilt and overcommitment. Apply for a free clarity call here: https://calendly.com/maryannwalkerlife/freeconsult

Don’t Forget to Subscribe:
Subscribe to never miss tools and strategies to help you set boundaries, reclaim your energy, and thrive as a highly sensitive person.

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

Connect with Kami Orange: https://kamiorangeinfo.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGn3TvouJFLCLM61q6uJAGLy380YaHAWn12YzbPbrKD0JwggP6K8zFDloTmuns_aem_d5_XHEDNkcX-hoCLlVJ8dg

Purchase "Say the Thing: Boundary-Setting Scripts & Phrases to Communicate Directly & Speak Up with Kindness" By Kami Orange

Come and work with MaryAnn: https://maryannwalker.life/