It’s finally here.

The end of a decade, and the beginning of something new.

The 2010s were big, exciting, scary, challenging, growth-filled years for us.

We met each other. We started this company. Raised tens of millions of dollars. Grew into a community of 4 million. Oh, and we had a baby (ok, one of us had a baby.)

Smooth sailing, right?

Wrong.

The one thing that’s been consistent in every year (and maybe every day) of this decade is that we have struggled. Sometimes monumentally, sometimes just with coffee-stained white pants before a big meeting.

In the same decade that we had some major highs, we also said goodbye to loved ones, we navigated tough family dynamics, heard hundreds of nos from people to fund our company, and, naturally, shed a few wine bottles full of tears along the way.

The common theme that’s gotten us through every. single. hard moment?

Community.

When we met in 2011, we were struggling with our own anxiety, stress, and even depression—and we found community within each other.

Five years later, when we heard from the people in our lives that they felt alone in struggling with the same things, we started Shine to build a community that would mimic that same safe space.

And now in 2019, with a community of 4 million people across 189 countries, still the most consistent piece of feedback we hear every day is, “Wow, I thought I was the only one.”

The most consistent piece of feedback we hear every day is, 'Wow, I thought I was the only one.'

As we enter 2020, we’re shouting “you are not alone” from the rooftops.

Next year, an estimated 40 million Americans will be affected by a mental health disorder—it's about the same amount of people who get the flu yearly.

Anxiety is on the rise. Stress is on the rise—with women and people of color experiencing even higher increases than most.

And what makes every single mental and emotional health challenge worse?

Feeling alone.

From nerves about a new job to depression after having a first kid—nearly one in four people report they don’t feel as if there are people who really understand them.

So what can we do about it?

The first step: Recognizing that we are never alone in what we’re going through.

The second: Getting and giving support to each other along the way.

And you, our community, clearly agree.

For the third year in a row, you told us that your top New Year’s resolution is prioritizing self-care and your mental health—with 79% of you saying that connecting with others would help you stick to that goal.

That’s why today, we’re proud to launch the first iteration of Shine Community.

In the Shine app, you’ll now see our first step in building the most supportive and inclusive self-care community in the world—it’s called the Daily Discussion.

Here, you can post daily to give and get support from other members on anything you’re going through.

Unlike other social media platforms, it’s a safe space for you to come as you are with the challenges and struggles you’re facing—not as you think you should be.

Your anxiety. Your stress. Your depression. It’s all of ours.

At Shine, we believe community care is the future of self-care.

We know we’re stronger when we take care of ourselves together. Coping with life’s toughest challenges, believing in yourself, being kind to yourself—it all gets easier when you have a strong support network.

If self-care is about prioritizing, understanding, and loving yourself, community care connects us to others doing the same—pushing us all forward in the process.

If self-care is about prioritizing, understanding, and loving yourself, community care connects us to others doing the same—pushing us all forward in the process.

It’s a supportive foundation that can both help us through the day-to-day and also help us tackle large-scale problems, from the growing anxiety epidemic to social justice issues.

And this is just the beginning.

Look for a lot more Shine Community to come in 2020.

Your challenge for 2020: Let’s self-care, together.

Choose vulnerability. Let people in. Put community at the center of your 2020 from the very start.

Not only will you reach those lofty goals you’ve jotted down for the year, but you’ll get carried through the lows that come with them.

Here’s how you can start today:

●︎ Join the Daily Discussion and answer today’s question: How can you bring community into your self-care practice?

●︎ Knowing January is the month we set our most ambitious goals—and can be harder on ourselves than ever: Practice self-acceptance with us every weekday with the Daily Shine, your morning podcast-meets-meditation

●︎ Elevate the people who help you #selfcaretogether by saving and posting this graphic, tagging the people who support you

Cheers to a 2020 that’s all about you and a community that has your back.

You got this.

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