Deinstitutionalizing is an act of untangling
Deinstitutionalizing verb | /dee-in-sti-tyoo-shuh-nuh-lahy-zing/ The act of untangling from the deeply ingrained norms, expectations, and values imposed by institutions or systems, and using that clarity to rebuild personal, organizational, and collective resilience.
2026 is the year to reclaim all the parts of yourself that have been stuffed inside institutional walls, propped up by the “good worker” you were trained to be. At the root of it all lies the meta-myth: that your worth, identity, belonging, and selfhood must be defined by the institution.
When you read this concept, what do you notice for yourself? What thought immediately came up? What shifted in your felt sense of body? Did an emotion rush over you? Curiosity? Excitement? Massive resistance to continue? Hold all of that and keep reading.
Deinstitutionalizing is not a one-time act. It’s a living pedagogical praxis, unfolding seasonally, continuously. Through reflective practices, embodied exercises, and deep community discussion, you begin to shed inherited rules and rebuild your life and work grounded in your body, Nature’s rhythms, and connections with others. By unlearning the “always-summer” mentality of linear growth, productivity obsession, and capitalism’s exploitative pace, you return to cyclical rhythms that sustain you, your communities, and the Earth.
Throughout 2026, we will explore the institutional myths that have shaped our lives:
Scarcity
Busyness
Saviorism
Security
Creativity
Flexibility
All of these serve the foundational institutional demand: Be loyal. Be defined by us. Be shaped by us. Or else.
January: Naming the Spell of Institutionalization
Name it to break it. The spell that you’ve been under. We begin the year by noticing how these myths show up in your life, your work, and your relationships, and how they influence how you see yourself and others. This month sets the stage for reflection and reclamation, preparing you to move through the seasonal cycles with awareness and agency.
Reflection questions to begin:
What patterns, rules, or expectations have you inherited from the institutions you’ve been part of? Maybe even break it down by each institution you’ve been trained by or worked at, as each one has its own culture and nuances.
Where in your work, your creativity, or your daily life do you feel most defined by external demands rather than your own rhythms?
This month, take a moment to notice what you’ve been carrying that isn’t yours to bear and consider what it would feel like to name those spells and start releasing them.
Step into 2026 intentionally. Deinstitutionalize. Reclaim your rhythms. Reclaim yourself.
Want some support? Check out The Grove!