1/2/26

A year-end piece in the NY Times shares readers’ favorite pieces of advice from 2025. I really appreciate these pearls of wisdom! 

They made me reflect on advice that I’ve been given (not just in the past year), and inspired me to share one particular piece because it’s been very impactful. Like most great advice, it’s incredibly easy to practice. 

Here it is…

Relax your shoulders. 

While I’ve followed this direction countless times in yoga classes, it didn’t become powerful advice, applicable in countless scenarios, until I heard it from a dear friend in an ordinary moment. 

It was two years ago, on a bitterly cold February night in New York City, when I sat down across from her at a restaurant table after taking off my coat. 

We hadn’t seen each other literally in years, so I immediately warmed up from the excitement of being with her and we eagerly jumped into “catch-up mode,” completely ignoring our menus. 

She went first on providing many updates of her goings-on. I’ll never forget when she was mid-sentence, sharing about one of her daughters and she took a brief pause. 

She reached across the table, gently put her hands on each of my shoulders, and lovingly said, “put your shoulders down.” 

That little movement created a big shift and not just in my shoulders…it felt like my whole nervous system said, “Ahhhh.” 

I had no idea that even in joy-filled moments, I hold tension in my shoulders. I’m sure there’s some profound psychological/physiological explanation for this habit, but suffice it to say that it’s just my make-up, and it still happens in all kinds of contexts.

But, when I remember and implement her amazing advice, I consistently experience relaxation, (beyond my upper body), become more present, and learn something about myself. 

Advice isn’t always game-changing, but this piece has been. 

Cheers to more relaxed-shoulder moments in 2026!

What’s some go-to advice you love? Please share!