A December to Remember: Reset, Review and Recharge
Images licensed by Être
t's been a whirlwind of a month - full of soaring highs and grief-stricken lows.
We need a minute.
We need a minute to reset and recharge. To gather ourselves before we gather in groups...and to take a breath while we take a moment for ourselves.
To no one's surprise, at times like this I get my best advice and pro tips from the next generation.
Where are they going to find calming content and rejuvenating resources? I asked, and they answered. Here are five Gen Z-approved spaces to find peace amid holiday pandemonium and joy as we finish the year:
Images from YPulse and Sunnie
1. Be Mindful:
For ways Gen Z is rebranding mindfulness, read this new report from our role models at YPulse, diving into focused study, flow states and finding ways to step away from the digital space. Can we learn from these next gen habits? Être members - in a reverse-mentor moment - gave a resounding YES.
2. Be Yourself:
Worried you're not where you're supposed to be? Need craft-centered ways to relax and recharge? Looking for inspo from athletes or reminders of favorite traditions? Our friends at Sunnie see you - and they have Issues for our issues. They drop monthly and help daily...and we're thrilled to see Être friends featured.
3. Be De-Stressed:
Or at least put yourself in places where your stressors are lessened. After reading this Intergenerational Mental Health Report (2025) from mentors at the Child Mind Institute, ways to de-stress became top of mind during exams and college waitlist season. Être headed to BFFs at The Jed Foundation (JED) to find self-care tips here and convo starters to help our friends here. Because we could all use less stress at this time of year.
4. Be Cared For:
And this year, it feels like we need some extra care. This month brought more doom in our scrolling than we care to remember, so we turned to mentors at Teen Vogue to hear - and heal - from their experts. With smart voices chiming in and help lines at the ready, December is drawing to a close with added peace on the horizon and a new day in view.
5. Be Ready:
Yep, get ready for what's next. Our BFFs at Her Campus Media know how to finish exam season strong, catch up on precious sleep, gear up to come home and plan for 2026. They laid out their tips here and Être girls flagged them all.
Images from Her Campus
January is promising to be full of fresh joy, excitement, deepening friendships and a slate of new mentors. There's a lot to tell and I cannot wait to share more, but for now my heart is full of gratitude for the community around us helping Gen Z to reset, review and recharge as they ready themselves for a big 2026.
We're with them and cannot wait to cheer.
Looking forward,
Illana
ÊXTRAS: Three more places to find December calm you won't want to miss: Reminders like this from the role models at Calm, help for better sleep and mindful meditation from Headspace, and micro-steps to make it all happen from our friends at Thrive Global.
