New Beginnings - less pressure, less exhaustion

New beginnings are always in our presence. A new day, a new week, a new moon, a new season, a new reason to start again. Your next breath.

I often think of the weight of a new beginning, given that my work is deeply connected to them. I find new beginnings to be exhausting at times.

If your email and social feeds are geared toward wellness and the woo, you have seen all of the commentary on new beginnings. It is easy to become overwhelmed and numb to the news and rituals of new beginnings. However, there is an energy that keeps us going when we take a deep breath, find our feet, reset. It is the energy of a fresh start; in a moment, we are new again.

Before we go any further, notice your feet. Arrive where you are. Let your breath deepen on its own. 

What keeps us from numbing out is finding a rhythm to our lives. That rhythm is ritual, habit, conscious connection to the energy that we want to create in our lives.  

I am a romanticizer of life. Often times I am moving through life as if it is a musical in my head. And to really feel the music of life, I know that some level of organization creates space for me to dance. Ritual, habit and energetic connection create more jazz hand moments in my day. 

And who doesn’t want jazz hands? Like, every.day.

Yes, I say this so much now (sigh), the world is heavy and chaotic. And still, each of us choosing to live in our light, to share our gifts, to stand in love and compassion creates momentum. This is how we soften the chaos and stay human.

One way of getting there is through simple rituals and habits that support what we want to create.

Don’t want to spend the weekend doing laundry? Throw one load in each night before dinner. Finish and fold before bed. You reclaim your weekend, a new way of living.

Have the scary Sundays? Become aware of what feels so scary - make moves to change it. Create a ritual for Friday that tees you up for success on Monday. Have a difficult conversation with your manager. Create a new beginning for your work life.

Hate coming home to cook dinner during the week? Create a date night of shopping on Thursday or Friday night, meal prep 3 meals for the week on Saturday or Sunday. Turn up the music, squeeze a little extra lime in your sparking water, wear comfy cozy clothes and get cooking. Choose 2 new recipes a month. New found time, new approach to nourishment, a new beginning for your mind and body. 

This is how I handle laundry, cooking, and overwhelm in my work (yes, that happens). I also love the rituals of lighting a candle, writing in my journal, making a plan, meditating, and of course, the jazz hands in my head. 

Research shows that small rituals regulate the nervous system by signaling safety and predictability. Simple, repeatable actions like evening routines, meal prep and weekend rituals calm us down.

It really isn’t motivation and positivity that propels us forward. It is the small steps we take in creating a life that allows for more joy through the chaos. We don’t need to make these fresh starts feel exhausting.

Here is my reality. I don’t put water out for every full moon. I don’t always blow cinnamon into my home for the first of the month. I don’t always follow every prompt or task of every course I signed up for. I do what I can. I do what feels right and lovely. I let that be enough because it makes me feel good, not performative.

What is one ritual or habit you can do to tame the chaos and insert a bit more joy?

Go do that.

And notice how it feels in your body.