A nurse’s guide to reclaiming wellness in the new year

With the start of the new year, we’d like to offer nurses a timely, supportive reset message for 2026, grounded in current workplace realities and focused on reclaiming emotional safety, mental health, and self-care through Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation® (HNHN), offered by the American Nurses Association (ANA), along with other wellness tools.

The idea of a reset isn’t just about breaking old habits. It’s also about reclaiming emotional safety and self-worth—a New Year’s tradition with deeper meaning. This article is an invitation to reflect, renew, and reconnect as we reclaim wellness.

Nursing is deeply rewarding and deeply demanding. As we enter 2026, nurses are carrying the weight of long shifts, moral distress, and now, ideological tension.

Globally, emotional exhaustion affects one-third of nurses, with intensive care unit nurses reporting the highest rates of low personal accomplishment (46%). In the United States, 65% of nurses report high stress and burnout.

Polarization compounds these challenges. Although some may dismiss sharply contrasting positions that divide coworkers, friends, and family as something to get over, its impact is real. A 2024 Forbes study found that 36% of employees avoid coworkers due to political views, and 44% report political disagreements at work. Polarization is now considered a determinant of health and has been shown to erode trust in medical expertise and increase mental health risks.

Mental health and emotional safety

Emotional discomfort at work, especially when tied to identity or values, can lead to anxiety, burnout, and withdrawal. Psychological safety is essential for nurses to thrive, communicate openly, and function at the top of their scope of practice.

Mental health is one of the six core wellness domains of HNHN. Although polarization adds complexity, the need for mental health support is ongoing. According to the HNHN HealthyNurse™ Survey, over 60% of nurses reported being at a significant risk for workplace stress and 17% reported having anxiety disorder.

Why does this matter? Because it affects both personal well-being and professional sustainability. Nurses reporting poor mental health were significantly more likely to consider leaving the profession within 12 months, underscoring the link between wellness and retention.

Understanding a reset

A reset isn’t another resolution. It’s a mindset shift—a pause to realign with what matters most. Reflect on what drains your energy and what restores it. Renew through small, consistent actions that move you forward with balance and purpose. Reconnect by rebuilding healthy habits and supportive relationships

Reflect

Nurses are entering 2026 with more than fatigue. They carry stories, losses, and expectations that extend beyond hospital walls. The emotional weight of recent years has blurred the line between personal and professional life.

Reflection offers a path back to clarity. A few quiet moments spent journaling, experiencing mindfulness, and taking deep breaths can help separate what you can control from what you can’t. It’s not about fixing everything at once. It’s about noticing what depletes you and what restores you. Reflection creates the mental space to move forward with focus and compassion.

Renew

Renewal begins when small acts of self-care become sustained habits, supported by systems that value well-being. This shift—from individual effort to collective culture—is essential.

Nurses can engage with organizational wellness programs, participate in HNHN, or access organizational resources focused on resilience and work-life balance. These tools help nurses maintain energy, set boundaries, and stay connected to purpose.

Renewal isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress. When nurses care for themselves, patients benefit. Personal well-being isn’t separate from patient care; it’s the foundation of it. Supported, connected, and fulfilled nurses bring greater compassion and clarity to every interaction.

Reconnect

Reconnect through small daily actions that matter to you. These might include exploring other interests, engaging a mentor, prioritizing conscious movement, or leaning into a new hobby. Consider joining an HNHN challenge to connect with other nurses on their wellness journeys. The HNHN community offers encouragement, accountability, and shared wisdom.

Another way to reconnect is by remembering your why—the reason you entered the profession. In a polarized environment, reconnecting with shared purpose can reduce emotional distance and foster team resilience. A team-based HNHN challenge can help bridge divides and build cohesion.

Tools that help

Here are a few resources offered by the American Nurses Enterprise to support your reset:

• HNHN, A free, evidence-based wellness platform, offers monthly challenges, wellness pledges, discussion boards, and personalized wellness heat maps via the HealthyNurse® Survey. (hnhn.org)
• Nurse Burnout Prevention Program provides free resources to ANA members. (nursingworld.org/burnout-prevention)
• Nurse Well-Being: Building Peer and Leadership Support helps create a culture of well-being. (bit.ly/4eWTEN9)

Also, consider organizational and community resources. See if your employer offers employee assistance programs, peer support groups, mental health services, and/or other wellness programs or committees. Explore what your health insurance provides as well. Investigate other options for wellness services and programs that may be offered at a place of worship, community centers, health fairs, and civic events.

Moving forward together

Moving forward calls for unity and mutual respect. As nurses, we prioritize health and well-being for ourselves and each other. Let’s offer grace to those we work with and those whom we serve. Let’s stay curious about how others are feeling and extend compassion, both to them and to ourselves.

Let’s encourage open communication and honor our differences as a path to shared strength. The ideals of our profession—compassion and respect for human dignity—call us to care for all individuals with empathy and integrity. This includes those with whom we may not agree.
This new year, let’s reflect, renew, and reconnect … together.

—Mamie Williams is senior nurse policy advisor, National Apprenticeship Strategy – Craft Education, and a Tennessee Nurses Association member. Evan Thoman is the chief well-being officer at Emory Healthcare and an ANA member. The authors are co-chairs of HNHN.

References

American Nurses Association. Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation 2025 Report. healthynursehealthynation.org/globalassets/2025-hnhn-report.pdf

Florida Atlantic University. Nursing 2025: No relief in sight as burnout, stress and short staffing persist. ScienceDaily. May 4, 2025. sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250430143048.htm

Getie A, Ayenew T, Amlak BT, Gedfew M, Edmealem A, Kebede WM. Global prevalence and contributing factors of nurse burnout: An umbrella review of systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Nurs. 2025;24(1):596. doi:10.1186/s12912-025-03266-8

Hiam L. Political polarisation: An overlooked determinant of health. BMJ. 2025;390:r1858. doi:10.1136/bmj.r1858

Robinson B. Half of employees dread coming into the office amid the 2024 political environment. Forbes. August 23, 2024. forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2024/08/23/-of-employees-dread-coming-into-the-office-amid-the-2024-political-environment

Van Bavel JJ, Gadarian SK, Knowles E, Ruggeri K. Political polarization and health. Nature Med. 2024;30:3085-93. doi:10.1038/s41591-024-03307-w

American Nurse Journal. 2026; 21(1). Doi: 10.51256/ANJ012642