2024 journey inwards
Hey my magical witches! It’s been a minute but I’m trying to write more on here in the new year. I’m a visual learner and beyond my vision board I made this year- here’s some of the main things I’m working on in the new year!
✨supportive self talk: Supportive self-talk has been a monumental shift for me. In late September, I made a conscious decision to break free from all of my negative self-talk! Despite running a business aimed at fostering self-love, I found myself caught in the web of harsh self-criticism. Many of us fall into this pattern uttering demeaning words about ourselves without realizing the impact. So, I challenged myself to refrain from any negative self-talk for a day. Surprisingly to me, I managed to do so, and then extend it to a weekend, then a full week. The goalpost kept shifting until I set my sights on making it through the entire year. I knew if I could do that, the habit would actually have started to form and I could really have a chance at changing this!
Of course I'm not perfect! Undoing decades of ingrained self-talk, coupled with the insidious effects of trauma, is a continuous process of undoing. However, the effort has been transformative and is easily one of not the most significant changes I've embraced this past year. Now approaching 40 next year, the realization hit me – spending this precious time on Earth verbalizing such cruel thoughts to myself had to come to an end. Words are really spells, and what we put out into the world comes back to us. While not all negative thoughts have vanished, they are no longer my immediate default. Breaking the cycle sometimes felt like dismantling an addiction to negative thoughts. But I’m so grateful to have tried it and encourage any of my witches out there to try it if you’re stuck in a negative loop. I truly look forward to keeping up with this and making it stick to who I am in 2024.
✨intentional phone use: Addressing addictions is like playing whack-a-mole, as one of my wise friends often points out. Once I began to conquer my addiction to negative self-talk (as mentioned above), a new challenge emerged—hiiii, phone addiction! The last few months of the year, my already strained phone relationship went pretty haywire and I don’t care to admit how many hours a day I was on social media. It felt like something I complained about week after week and year after year. The old saying doing the same thing and expecting different results is the defintion of insanity was ringing very true for me. of insanity was ringing very true for me.
After being inspired by some magical esthetician friends I decided to do a week off social media the last week of year- and it was really amazing. I did it with a close friend and it was great to have an accountability partner. Slowing down, being present with loved ones, and savoring my birthday brought a sense of wonder and fulfillment I haven’t felt in a long time. As I step into the new year, I've incorporated the use of my phone lock box and a visual color timer both of which have proven helpful so far! My next strategy involves quarterly social media detoxes—taking a week off every three months. I anticipate that this practice will work wonders for my mind, and the ability to unplug will yield mental health dividends for a long time to come!
✨more time in nature: If you know me at all, you’re aware that my happiest memories and my "happy place" involve being in the great outdoors with my husband. We've been incredibly fortunate to embark on extensive travels in our decade together. From cycling adventures where we lived off our bicycles for months to more recent two-week canoe and camping trips, our shared love for exploration has been a cornerstone of our relationship. Each year, we alternate planning one significant trip which is always magical. But I feel in the last year we haven’t spent nearly enough time doing day trips to the springs or camping like my spirit so desperately needs lol. I would also love to get out and do some solo nature trips or even just walks!
I read an interesting book on the subject I loved last year called The Nature Fix It delves into how being in nature, (surrounded by sunshine and green spaces) profoundly impacts our brains, stress levels, immune function, sleep regulation, enhances creativity, and more (I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting!) Point being, this year I want to take more nature walks, small trips, and spend more time outside with my loved ones. To me it is the pinnacle of fulfillment for my life, and big trips are great but making it a habit to feel this harmony more in my daily life is just as special!
✨daily reflective writing:✨ Since today's blog is turning into a confessional booth, I’m going to share a bit about my background—I went to high school for creative writing and, at certain points in life, envisioned myself becoming a literature teacher or working as a librarian. Although I don’t write in that particular style at this time, I've found solace in journaling and writing my little blogs over the years. Recently, I've set a little goal for myself: daily reflective writing. The statement is intentionally broad. I don't want to feel constrained to write solely for work or stick to daily journal entries. Instead, I aim to spend a few minutes each day pouring my thoughts onto paper or the laptop screen. Whether it's personal feelings or musings about the beloved skin barrier (lmao) I simply want to focus on putting more words down in the coming year!
✨personal rituals✨Over the past year, I've fully embraced my inner witch in a tangible way. Casting spells and delving into tarot has been a beautiful and liberating experience for me. I'd categorize myself as an existential/buddhisty kind of witch – whatever that may be I suppose. While I don't necessarily view the universe as an all-loving magical space (if anything to me it appears quite hands-off and often cruel), I strongly believe in the power of our minds, rituals, and setting intentions. Our brains are so truly powerful they do possess a kind of magic! Given that I don't adhere to an inherent meaning in our lives, it follows that I believe we are all free to create our own. And that is still pretty amazing to me! So summoning what I desire more of in the new year is a special practice. Writing down what no longer serves me and ceremoniously burning it creates a lasting memory that aids in letting go. I intend to carry on with this practice in the new year because it has proven supremely helpful to my mind – perhaps even more so than decades of therapy tbh lol
✨sacred self care✨ Last but certainly not least is the commitment to prioritize more self care, aligning with what my body and soul truly love—often revolving around skincare hehe. There's a reason I'm in this industry. I find profound joy in self care, especially in the holistic esthetic world.Although I have many wonderful modalities at my disposal (looking at you microcurrent, LED, gua sha, facial cups, herbal poultices, masks galore, and of course my own two hands) sometimes is often the case for service providers- we take care of ourselves last. I know no one is more deserving of relaxation and care than me (and same for you witch- you’re #1 to you always!) To ensure I prioritize my well-being, I've reincorporated monthly facials into my routine, thanks to the incredible May at The Ceremony Room Moving forward I would like to dedicate more sacred time to my own self care. It contributes significantly to how I feel cared for and loved!
Hopefully this insight into my self love enhanctments for the new year sparked some thoughts for you and anyways you want to invite support and kindness to yourelf coming up! Love yall so much!
xox,
Katie