Attitude Adjustments for 2026
attitudes that support growth and connection
We made it to 2026! We’ve made our resolutions (or not), probably eaten many sweets, and if you’re fortunate, had a few days off of work.
The turn of the year is a great time to give yourself a little shake and think about what worked, what didn’t, and how we want to be. Different than concrete resolutions or to do lists, we can think about our attitudes and challenge our assumptions.
Here at Skip the Small Talk we focus on friendship and dating, so these ideas will support you in creating, initiating, and responding to meaningful connections.
2 Attitudes to Leave in 2025
Obsessing over what others think of you - this is a root of the social anxiety that plagues so many of us. Many of us are aware that hyper-individualism in our culture feeds consumerism, isolation, and disconnection. It also trains us to think we are always the center of attention (even if we are shy or marginal), and that can be super uncomfortable. It’s also inaccurate. When you’re feeling socially anxious, remind yourself - for the most part, other people are thinking about their lives, not analyzing yours.
Justifying indulging unhealthy patterns as “self care” - sometimes we do need to cancel plans, grab a blanket, and zone out. But more often than not, self-care actually involves doing something that makes us a little bit anxious, or is somewhat inconvenient: eating something green with dinner, tidying our room so we feel more at peace mentally, showing up to plans with our friends. Be honest within yourself about the difference between doing what is easy and what will serve you best in the long run.
2 Attitudes to Bring into 2026
Starting with humility and curiosity - no one has it all together: even you! No one knows it all: including you! There’s so much pressure to nail it every time, practice humility by granting yourself permission to make mistakes; practice curiosity in order to learn from them. Ask lots of questions, try out new things - this will bring you closer to the connections you want in the long term.
Focusing on play, experimentation, and joy - times are bad, y’all. It’s even more important to regularly touch back to joy through play and experimentation. Not as a distraction (see #2 above), but to help us orient to what we want to create more of in our lives and the world around us.
Folks at an actual Skip the Small Talk event