In, out, shake it all about.

Leaving 2024 in the past

Last year, I dedicated the whole month of January to my "New Year, Same Me” series, in which I encouraged people to share things they loved about themselves during this time of often-forced change.

If you want to know more about the whole concept of New Year’s resolutions and why I think they are mostly bullshit, you can read my post from this time last year.

Happy new year!

I still stand by that concept, and I don’t intend to change anything drastic about myself this year. I actually think the secret to a positive new year is to differentiate between the things you can change and those you can’t.

For example, night owls promising to get up early are probably going to fail when their body clock wins the war against a 5 am start. But, you could look to practice good sleep hygiene, reduce screentime before bed, and read a few pages of a book before attempting to turn in before midnight.

Ins and outs

I quite like the recent trend of “ins and outs” where you share what you will be taking into the new year, and what’s getting left behind.

Here are my ins and outs for 2025:

Ins

• Running

• Solo cinema trips

• Rewatching films

• CBD

• Geriatric dogs

• Fresh nails

Outs

• Force-finishing bad books

• Second screening

• Masking

• Flattering clothes

If you know me well, then there’s nothing particularly new in those lists, but it’s nice to set my intentions as we embark on another loop around the sun.

I asked over on Instagram for ins and outs, and here are some that I received:

Ins

• Creativity

• Doing things that make me feel good

• New plants from cuttings

• Pyjama sets

• Swimming

Outs

• People pleasing

• Rushing as default

• Threadbare socks

• Toxic friendships

• One-sided friendships

• Mediocre takeaway food

What I really like about ins/outs is how it doesn’t have to be huge, it can just be a small thing that you like or don’t like. You don’t have to suddenly start waking up at sunrise for a half marathon and a green sludge drink. You can just buy a new pair of PJs or put your phone down for the evening.

Any small thing that makes you feel better is a positive step as we tiptoe into this new year.

Tell me your ins and outs in the comments below.

I actually really like January for two reasons: Veganuary means the shops are full of good food, and it’s Oscar season, so there are tons of awesome films hitting the silver screen. This month, I’ve already booked up to see Nosferatu, Babygirl, and A Real Pain, and hopefully, I’ll also squeeze in The Brutalist and A Complete Unknown.

I’ve kicked off the New Year with two incredible films:

🎥 Dinner in America - Punk rocker takes refuge with obsessive fan, cute love story ensues. I watched this twice in two nights. That means it’s very, very good.

🎥 Anora - Unbelievably good and unexpectedly hilarious tale of a sex worker who meets a Russian oligarch’s son. Mikey Madison is a star.

See you next week,

Ellen x

---

If you like the audio version of this newsletter, you can listen to them all over on Spotify. Here’s the last issue:

---

💌 About this email

I’m Ellen, and I write about mental health for the chronically online. I am a freelance copywriter, strategist and web designer, and I work from home with my husband, Craig, at Content By The Sea. We have two rescue greyhounds, Potter and Harmony, and a toddler.

I started this newsletter in March 2020 and have sent over 200(!) emails; currently, I have over 1,200 subscribers. I write about a wide variety of topics, including diet culture, my love of running, jealousy, my life falling apart, mam guilt, and this dystopian world we all live in.

💛 How you can support me

If you like reading my weekly emails, you can give me a kickback in one or more of the following ways:

📨 Share this post

📬 Subscribe for free (if you haven’t already!)

💬 Leave a comment on this newsletter

💰Sign up to be a paid supporter of the newsletter for just £4 a month or £40 a year.

The current perks of being a paid subscriber are receiving one extra Touching Grass email each month with all of my top films, shows, podcasts and books. Most importantly, you are supporting me in continuing to write this newsletter.