As Sydney prepares to ring in 2026, the Sydney Harbour Bridge will glow blue in a powerful symbol of hope and support for mental health. This year, Beyond Blue joins the City of Sydney as the official charity partner for New Year’s Eve, encouraging Australians to swap grand resolutions for small, daily rituals that nurture mental wellbeing.
For many, New Year’s Eve is a time for ambitious goals. But Beyond Blue CEO Georgie Harman AO says research shows these resolutions are often unrealistic and difficult to sustain.
“Instead, small steps towards changes that matter to you can be incredibly supportive for your mental health and wellbeing,” Ms Harman said.
Beyond Blue encourages Australians to consider everyday actions such as volunteering, catching up with a friend or taking a daily walk.
“Supporting your mental health and wellbeing is a daily practice,” Ms Harman said.
“We all experience ups and downs in life. While many of us manage with self-care and support from friends and family, others will benefit from extra professional support.”
Emma’s story: finding joy in small, achievable goals
For Beyond Blue lived experience speaker Emma Missen, the new year isn’t about rigid rules but setting intentions that feel achievable and nurturing.
“For 2025 my theme was love and joy. My partner and I got together in 2024, and we were moving in together and had all these plans for 2025, so the theme seemed fitting,” Ms Missen said.
“I really wanted to lean into the good stuff. For example, one of my intentions was that we’d go on a few trips together.”
But Emma's journey to this hopeful place wasn't straightforward. Her experience with mental health challenges began in her teens, when physical health issues and the pressure to be perfect led to anxiety, depression and eventually anorexia nervosa.
“In year 9 at school, I was a perfectionist. I wanted to excel at everything I did and spent all my time doing things I thought would please others and make me seem like a valuable person in their eyes,” she said.
“By year 10, I was suffering from frequent migraines and overwhelming stress. It was still early in the school year, but I was already quite unwell and everything felt like it was slipping away from me. I was in pain and incredibly anxious and fatigued. I could not face the prospect of doing exams. I slept a lot, and I wanted to be alone.”
Her struggle with chronic pain and depression became a cycle that felt impossible to break.
“My coping strategies evolved – initially in unhealthy ways, like developing an eating disorder – but eventually, with professional help and strong support from those around me, toward positive outlets like music, journaling, and connecting with nature. With time, it did gradually get easier,” she said.
“Progress isn’t always straightforward and sometimes the most meaningful achievements are the small, everyday victories: getting out of bed, reaching out to a friend or simply taking a moment to breathe.
“Happiness is not a destination we can arrive at, it’s something we can cultivate every day. For me, happiness is a product of taking actions every day to keep myself well and living a life that reflects my values,” she said.
Why small wins matter
When New Year motivation peaks, it's tempting to set ambitious goals. But Beyond Blue recommends choosing actions that feel achievable and fit into everyday life, even on the busiest days.
Be specific. ‘Run for 30 minutes, 3 times a week’ is easier to stick to than ‘exercise more’.
Focus on one change at a time. This increases your chances of success and prevents overwhelm.
Share your goal – or do it with others. Accountability and social support make habits more sustainable.
Design your environment for success. Remove barriers and make the desired action easy.
Connect your goal to your values. Goals stick when they align with who you want to be.
Plan for setbacks. Treat lapses as learning opportunities, not failures.
Break big goals into milestones. They’ll keep motivation high and reduce the mid-year slump.
Celebrate progress. Reward yourself for small wins along the way.
Support when you need it
Every 2 minutes, someone contacts the Beyond Blue Support Service by phone, webchat or email. The free and confidential service offers immediate counselling, advice and referrals any time, any day across Australia.
“One in 6 Australians has engaged with Beyond Blue’s content. This demand reflects the need for easy-to-access support that meets Australians where they are,” Ms Harman said.
“Mental health issues, or experiences of situational distress, are easier to manage when we get onto them early, before they snowball. While having a toolkit is great, it’s also important to recognise when you need extra support. Sometimes supporting ourselves is about asking for a helping hand – you don’t have to be at crisis point to benefit from support.
“Feeling constantly overwhelmed or worried, prolonged feelings of being flat or stuck, withdrawing from others or having trouble sleeping are some of the signs to look out for.”
If you or someone you know needs support, Beyond Blue Support Service is available 24/7 on 1300 22 4636 or at beyondblue.org.au/get-support. Peer-support forums are available too. Visit Beyond Blue's website for more information.
Published 8 December 2025
