Halfway There: A Kinder Look at the Year So Far

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Here we are — July, the heart of summer, and the halfway point of 2026. For many of us, January feels like a lifetime ago. The resolutions we made with such optimism may have quietly faded, the habits we swore we'd build may have slipped, and the goals we set may look a little different now than they did on New Year's Day.

And that's okay. More than okay, actually.

Rather than treating this midpoint as an occasion for self-criticism — a chance to tally up everything we didn't do — I'd like to invite you to approach it differently. What if we used this moment to pause, take stock with genuine kindness, and think about what we actually want the second half of this year to feel like?

Start With What's Going Well

Before you think about what you'd like to change, take a real moment to acknowledge what you've done. Not in a performative way, but genuinely. What are you proud of, even quietly? What habits have you maintained, even imperfectly? What hard things did you show up for? What relationships did you tend to? What did you learn about yourself?

We have a tendency to discount our progress because it doesn't look the way we imagined it would. But growth is rarely linear, and the fact that something didn't go according to plan doesn't mean nothing happened. Something always happens. Give yourself credit for it.

A Word About Bodies and Summer

Since we're in the heart of summer, I want to say something that I think needs to be said more often, especially by those of us in healthcare.

I am 53 years old, and I do not wear a size 6 (or even close). I also don't spend much time wishing I did. What I have is a body that takes me on morning walks alone and evening walks with my teenagers — a body that is capable and present and mine. Our culture is relentless in its messaging that bodies need to be young, thin, and flawless to deserve to be seen. I'd like to respectfully disagree.

I put on my swimsuit and go to the pool. I go to the beach. I don't wait until I look a certain way to participate in my own life. And I'd encourage you to do the same — whatever that looks like for you. Self-kindness in the second half of this year might mean refusing to let an impossible standard keep you from a moment of joy. It might mean appreciating what your body can do rather than criticizing what it looks like. It might mean showing up anyway.

That, to me, is one of the most meaningful forms of self-care there is.

What Would You Like to Tweak?

Now, with that foundation of self-compassion in place, it's worth asking — is there anything you'd genuinely like to do differently in the months ahead? Not because you've failed, but because you're still growing and you get to keep choosing.

Maybe it's something small — getting to bed a little earlier, spending less time on your phone, calling a friend you've been meaning to reach. Maybe it's something more significant — addressing a relationship that needs attention, seeking support you've been putting off, or finally making space for something that brings you joy.

The key is to approach these tweaks from a place of curiosity rather than punishment. Not "I should have done this already" but "I'd like more of this going forward." That shift in framing makes an enormous difference in whether change actually sticks.

Permission to Begin Again

One of the most underrated gifts we can give ourselves is a fresh start — and the beautiful thing is that fresh starts don't require January. They don't require a Monday, or a milestone, or everything to be perfectly in order. July works just fine. Today works just fine.

The second half of 2026 is still unwritten. You get to decide what you want it to hold — and you get to make that decision with kindness toward the person you already are, not the idealized version of yourself you thought you'd be by now.

That person is doing just fine.

When You Need a Little More Support

Sometimes self-kindness means recognizing when we need more help than we can give ourselves. At Shore Neurocognitive and Behavioral Health, we provide psychotherapy and psychiatric medication management for adults age 20 and older, including support for anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, and the emotional weight of caregiving. We're here whenever you're ready. Visit us at snhealth.net or call 443-746-3698.

Maggie Black, PsyD, Licensed Psychologist & Owner, SNBH

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