A Different Kind of Invitation for the New Year - Faith & Recovery
- Rachel Dodson RD. LDN.
- Jan 17
- 6 min read
By: Rachel Dodson RD, LDN
We have made it to 2026! Honestly, I used to loathe the New Year. It felt like with the change of months from December to January, a light was turned off - the sparkle and joy of the holidays was replaced by the dreary darkness of January and… diet culture. The noise of diet culture on January 1st was deafening. I always fell into the trap of, “new year, new me.” I dreaded the New Year because it meant restarting the never ending cycle of self improvement through under-eating, over-exercising, and finally “getting back on track…” whatever that actually means!
After making peace with food and healing my relationship with movement, I actually think the calendar year changing is my favorite time of year. I look forward to it - the stillness in the air the week after Christmas and the dreaming with God as we walk towards the year approaching. Some really wise advice from Emily P. Freeman -
“You don’t have to have all of 2026 planned by January 1st, 2026.”
We could end the blog there… but we won’t!
You really can take the whole month of January to reflect on the past year and set goals for the next one. You can even take February, too, because there are no rules. So this blog is getting posted about halfway through January because it’s still very much the New Year. You haven’t missed it!
If you don’t like reflection, that’s okay. There is nothing magical about January 1st, but I want to extend to you a different kind of invitation for the New Year. The Apostle Paul in Colossians 3 challenges us to “put off” the old self in every area of our lives and “put on” the new self. Paul says in Colossians 3: 1-4:
“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.”
In Christ, we are made new; we are a new creation - the old is gone, the new is here (2 Corinthians 5:17).
What does this have to do with a New Year? Here is what I see: we are invited to put off the old self, embrace the realities of heaven offered to us in Christ, and put on the new self made possible by Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. We are invited to participate in the kingdom work God is already doing! So below you will find a few more invitations, non-body focused goals that could positively impact your physical, mental, and/or spiritual health in 2026:
Focus on meeting your basic needs:
An organization that my church supports started from this acknowledgement that initiatives and dreams can’t be fulfilled until basic needs are met, like clean drinking water. As simple as it sounds, maybe that is something you need to be prioritizing this year - meeting your basic needs. Maybe it’s drinking enough water throughout the day, or prioritizing getting enough sleep, or giving yourself enough time in your schedule to actually go food shopping and then cook for yourself.
Add in more variety with food (instead of taking food groups away)
Food is not the enemy and your New Year doesn’t need to be defined by what you aren’t eating. Maybe this is the year you cook through an entire cookbook, or you start to bake bread, or try a meal delivery service, or sign up for a local farmshare, or maybe you do want to increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. Think about how food can enhance your life - I think God created it to be fuel and to be a joyful experience on purpose.
Prioritize your community
I am ending 2025 more thankful than ever for the community and church family God has blessed me with. Attend a small group or go to that event at church you’re nervous to show up to by yourself. He has good gifts in store for His kids!
Tackle that pile of books you’ve been wanting to get to
It took me getting rid of my TV to actually even begin this adventure but it’s been so worth it! Creating space for rest in your week could look like snuggling up on the couch with a blanket, your favorite warm beverage, and a good book!
Cultivate a new family rhythm
Perhaps this is the year to aim for more meals together as a family around the table. Research shows that more family meals together leads to a decrease in disordered eating among adolescents.
Cultivate a new spiritual rhythm
The most “non-spiritual” spiritual rhythm I’ve created over the last 3 years is my Friday morning. Every Friday morning at 7am, I go to my favorite coffee shop. I read and journal and pray and process my week. A few hours later, I go to a church down the street for “holy yoga.” It’s a local yoga instructor who leads us through a scripture theme and we listen to worship music throughout class. These few hours every Friday morning allow me to connect with God and connect to the good body He gave me. It’s a time to talk to Him, listen to Him, and let Him restore me from the inside out. Another spiritual rhythm I’ve incorporated into ending my year is going to that same coffee shop and answering these 10 questions. The 3 that have always stuck out to me the most are the 3 I’d love to challenge you in pondering as we move into 2026:
What’s one thing you can do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?
What’s an impossible prayer you can pray?
What single thing can you plan to do this year that will matter most in ten years? In eternity?
Happy New Year!!!
Looking to start therapy or nutrition services? Work with us! https://www.recoveredandrestoredtherapy.com/
Other Mental Health Services Offered in PA, NJ, DE, SC, MD, CT, VT, and FL
We offer a wide variety of services related to eating disorder recovery including trauma therapy! We offer Weekly Support Groups, Nutrition Services, and Family and Parent Therapy as well as Coaching, all tailored to meet the specific needs of the individual. We offer our services for Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating, and Orthorexia as well as Maternal Mental Health, and eating disorder therapy for athletes online in New Jersey, Delaware, South Carolina, Maryland, Florida, Vermont, and Connecticut! We are here to offer our support and understanding in a safe and non-judgmental environment.
We have immediate openings right now for eating disorder therapy in:
And recovery coaching worldwide.
Recovered and Restored is an eating disorder therapy center founded by Gabrielle Morreale, LPC. We specialize in helping teens and young women heal from eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, orthorexia, and binge eating disorder and treat disordered eating, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. We provide eating disorder therapy in PA in the towns of Horsham, Upper Gwynedd, Lower Gwynedd, North Wales, Lansdale, Hatfield, Blue Bell, Doylestown, and nearby towns with eating disorder therapy. Also providing virtual eating disorder therapy in New Jersey, Delaware, and Florida. Some towns served virtually include but are not limited to Pittsburgh, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Center City, Cherry Hill, Haddonfield, Mount Laurel, Cape May, Avalon, Brick, Dover, New Castle, Bethany Beach, Marydel, and Oceanview
Eating Disorder Dietitian and Meal Coach
Rachel graduated from West Chester University, Honors College XVI with a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics in 2018. She completed her dietetic internship at Immaculata University in 2020 and graduated with her Master’s degree in Clinical Nutrition from Immaculata in 2022.
Rachel is a non-diet dietitian who believes in intuitive eating and is a HAES (Health At Every Size) provider. She is passionate about walking alongside her clients as they seek to heal their relationship with food and their bodies, and re-discover the joy of eating! Rachel works with both teens and women suffering from eating disorders, disordered eating, and other nutrition-related conditions.
Rachel has extensive experience treating eating disorders and is personally recovered from disordered eating. Being on the other side of that battle, she wants to help others quiet all the noise, no matter what season of life they’re in. She became a registered dietitian to help others on their own path to discovering freedom with food, exercise, and nutrition. Rachel offers fully virtual online nutritional counseling sessions in PA, NJ, MD, SC, DE, AL, and FL, and coaching worldwide.
Rachel loves to spend her spare time with her friends and family, including her siblings and their kiddos! In her free time, Rachel is most likely grabbing a coffee with a friend or is on a walk listening to her favorite podcasts. She loves to ride her bike, read, watch romcoms, and bake cookies.
Comments