Psychology Today | 02.07.2026 23:14
There's something undeniably appealing about a fresh start. We feel it at the beginning of a new year, but also in many other moments: a new week, a birthday, the first day back after time away, or any other marker that lets us believe some previous period has closed. Researchers have described this as the fresh start effect, the tendency for temporal landmarks to make our aspirations feel a little more available to us. In those moments, the clean slate feels real, and beginning again can feel energizing.
