Her Best Self: Freedom from Disordered Eating, Body Obsession & Perfectionism EP 261: From Blah to Becoming in 2026 ~ Your Word of the Year Can Change Your Life & Recovery (Here's How to Find It)
Can I be real with you for a second? 2025 was blah.
Not bad. Not terrible. Just... blah. Some wonderful moments. Some not-so-wonderful moments. A lot of ordinary, messy, in-between moments that felt really uncomfortable for someone like me who's used to pushing, achieving, and making things happen.
Sound familiar? Because that's exactly what recovery from disordered eating feels like too, doesn't it? Some days are good. Some days are hard. Most days are just... blah. You're not in crisis, but you're also not experiencing the freedom you're aching for. You're just stuck in the gray.
But here's what I'm learning as I step into 2026: I don't need perfect. I need to become.
In this episode, I'm getting raw and honest about my word for 2026—becoming—and why it terrifies me and excites me all at the same time. I'm sharing how my 2025 word "leadership" showed up in ways I never expected (including firing staff, getting burned by a coach, and learning what NOT to be as a leader). And I'm challenging you to find your own word for 2026.
Because sis, having a word of the year in eating disorder recovery? It's a game-changer.
In this episode, you'll discover:
- Why 2025 felt "blah" for me (and why that's okay)
- How my word "leadership" in 2025 taught me hard lessons I didn't see coming
- What "becoming" means for me in 2026—and why it's the scariest and most freeing word I could choose
- Why becoming is about transitioning from structure to being okay in the gray
- How a word of the year gives you a North Star in recovery when you feel lost
- Why your identity isn't lost in the eating disorder—it's buried (and recovery is the process of becoming your true self)
- Practical questions to help YOU choose your word for 2026
- Why your word doesn't have to be perfect to be powerful
If you're ready to stop waiting for perfect and start leaning into who you're becoming—even if you don't have all the answers yet—this episode is for you.
Let's make 2026 the year of becoming. Together.
KEY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE💛 "2025 wasn't a bad year. It wasn't a terrible year. But it also wasn't this explosive, breakthrough, 'oh my gosh, everything is amazing' kind of year either. It was just... blah."
💛 "That's exactly what recovery from disordered eating feels like too. Some days are good. Some days are hard. Most days are just... blah. You're not in crisis, but you're also not experiencing the freedom you're aching for. You're just stuck in the gray."
💛 "I don't need the perfect word. I need the right word. The word that's going to challenge me, stretch me, and call me into who I'm becoming."
💛 "Becoming means becoming more aligned and grounded in my purpose—knowing what's for me and what isn't. It means becoming a more present mom and wife, not just existing in the same space as my family but actually being there with them."
💛 "Becoming also means transitioning from so much structure and control to becoming someone who is okay in the gray. Someone who doesn't need to have it all figured out to move forward. And let me tell you, that is terrifying. But it's also freeing."
💛 "Your identity isn't lost in the eating disorder, sis. It's buried. And recovery is the process of becoming your true and best self—an identity that isn't based on weight or image or what other people think of you."
💛 "You don't have to have it all figured out. You don't have to be perfect. You don't have to know exactly who you're becoming or what that looks like. You just have to keep showing up."
WHAT "BECOMING" MEANS FOR 2026In this episode, I share what my word "becoming" means for me personally:
✨ Becoming more aligned and grounded in my purpose – knowing what's for me and what isn't
✨ Becoming a more present mom and wife – not just existing in the same space but actually being there
✨ Becoming more honest with myself around people-pleasing – finally laying down the boundaries I've been too scared to set
✨ Becoming the businesswoman who is ready to embrace the next season and all the favor God has for me
✨ Transitioning from structure to being okay in the gray – someone who doesn't need to have it all figured out to move forward
The truth? This terrifies me. But it's also freeing. And that's exactly why it's the right word.
WHY A WORD OF THE YEAR MATTERS IN RECOVERYHaving a word of the year in eating disorder recovery is powerful for three reasons:
1. It gives you a North Star.
When you're in the thick of recovery, when the eating disorder is loud, when you feel lost or stuck—your word can ground you. It reminds you of who you're becoming and why you're doing this hard work.
2. It shifts your identity.
The eating disorder has convinced you that your identity is tied to your weight, your body, your food rules, your control. But your word? It reminds you that you are becoming someone deeper. Someone truer. Someone who isn't defined by the lies the ED has been feeding you.
3. It gives you permission to be in process.
Recovery isn't linear. It's messy. It's uncomfortable. It's full of blah days and setbacks. But when you have a word like "becoming," you remember that you don't have to be perfect. You just have to keep becoming.
Ready to find your word? Here's what I want you to do:
Sit down with a journal. Get quiet. Get honest. And ask yourself:
✍️ What do I need more of this year?
✍️ What am I ready to let go of?
✍️ Who am I becoming in my recovery?
✍️ What is God calling me into?
✍️ What would freedom feel like for me?
Your word might be something like:
- Brave
- Trust
- Nourish
- Grace
- Enough
- Present
- Surrender
It might be a word you've never thought of before. But when you land on it, you'll know. You'll feel it.
Then: Write it down. Put it somewhere you can see it every single day. Let it be your reminder when the eating disorder gets loud. Let it be your anchor when recovery feels impossible.
LESSONS FROM 2025: LEADERSHIPIn this episode, I share the raw truth about how my 2025 word "leadership" showed up:
- I had to make the really hard decision to fire some of my support staff and go back to running my business solo
- I invested a large amount of money in a business coach who didn't deliver and didn't keep her commitment—and I was left feeling burned and frustrated
- But that experience taught me what NOT to be as a leader and who I wanted to attract into my life and business
- It eventually led me to an incredible coach and mentor who has been exactly what I needed
- Leadership meant I had to lead myself first—push forward without second-guessing, stop questioning myself, and just trust
The lesson? Leaders keep going. Even when it's hard. Even when it's uncomfortable. Even when they want to quit.
READY TO STEP INTO WHO YOU'RE BECOMING IN 2026?If you're thinking, "Lindsey, I love this. I want to choose a word. I want to step into who I'm becoming. But I don't know how to do this alone"—I get it. And you don't have to do this alone.
WORK WITH ME IN 2026💛 THE RECOVERY COLLECTIVE
My group coaching community where women just like you come together to do the deep work of recovery. You'll have support, accountability, and a sisterhood that gets you. We meet monthly for coaching calls, and you'll have access to a community that will remind you who you're becoming when you forget.
www.herbestself.co/recoverycollective
💛 1:1 PERSONALIZED COACHING
If you're ready to go all in, if you're ready for deep transformational work, if you're ready to step into the fullness of who you're becoming—let's work together. I'll walk beside you, hold you accountable, and help you dismantle the eating disorder once and for all.
I'm taking applications right now for 2026.
👉 Head to www.herbestself.co and fill out a client application.
Let's make 2026 the year of becoming. Together.
A NOTE FROM LINDSEYYou don't have to have it all figured out. You don't have to be perfect. You don't have to know exactly who you're becoming or what that looks like.
You just have to keep showing up. Keep choosing yourself. Keep leaning into the uncomfortable, messy, gray space of recovery.
Because that's where the magic happens, sis. That's where transformation lives. That's where you become who you were always meant to be.
So here's to 2026. Here's to becoming. Here's to choosing yourself. And here's to stepping into the freedom that's been waiting for you all along.
I love you, girl. I believe in you. And I can't wait to see who you're becoming this year. 💛
Connect with Lindsey:🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Instagram: @thelindseynichol 🌟 Client Application: HBS Co. Recovery Coaching - Client Application - Google Forms
Love this episode? Here's how you can support the show:💕 Share it with a woman who might need to hear this message 💕 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts - it helps other women find the show 💕 Screenshot and tag @thelindseynichol if any of these steps help you this week!
Remember, beautiful: Your worth is not measured by how perfectly you do recovery. Healing isn't linear, progress over perfection always, and you are exactly where you need to be right now.
Her Best Self with Lindsey Nichol is a podcast for women in eating disorder recovery who are ready to break free from perfectionism, people-pleasing, and diet culture to live authentically and wholeheartedly.
*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.