Cycle day 4
So another year gone. What can I say about 2022?
At first, as I started my annual end of year reflection process (which I’ve done every year for the past 8 years), I didn’t feel like I’d accomplished much especially compared with previous years. I kinda felt.. disappointed for not doing or achieving enough. I had nothing big to celebrate.
But then I remembered… I had very intentionally decided on the theme of JOY for 2022. And having a joy-filled year meant less doing, less achieving, less pushing.. and more play, more lightness, more ease, more nourishment.
In fact I had written this post on the 1st January:
“Looking forward to what may come in 2022.
🌟 Looking forward to being intentional with my time & energy.
🌟 Looking forward to choosing joy, nourishment, pleasure & play.
🌟 Looking forward to cultivating connection, creative expression & vitality.
🌟 Looking forward to more feminine receptivity and less striving or pushing.“
And this is what I prioritised. Intentional joy and way, WAY less striving and pushing.
I think that, in itself, is something to be proud of. Especially in a world that celebrates productivity and big achievements. There is constant pressure to do more, do it better and do it faster. So prioritising joy, slowing down and doing less is a radical act. I took months away from my @flowradiance instagram account (which definitely hurt my “engagement stats”) and I took an entire month off work to spend time reconnecting with my family and friends back home in Sydney, Australia.
It doesn’t feel sexy or shiny. But it is real self-care in action.
Speaking of real self-care, I am also proud of how I’ve advocated for my health this year and how I’ve prioritised caring for my body & mind through quality sleep, nutrition, movement and lifestyle. Because I firmly believe a joy-filled life begins with a healthy body!
I started the year with an official Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder diagnosis (which only took 25 years to get). I slowly healed my fractured ankle & got back to figure skating. I worked consistently on my physio exercises (at least for most of the year – boring and definitely unsexy but pretty effective at keeping me out of pain).
I educated myself and dialled in my nutrition, reducing inflammation in my body and finally moving the needle on one particularly stubborn symptom I’d been struggling with for years. I got serious with my sauna + cold plunge routine and my immune & metabolic health has never been better (despite the onset of perimenopause, which has a rep for causing all sorts of havoc on a woman’s health). I’ve only been off sick once this year and that was with covid.
I also prioritised my mental health and found an amazing therapist that really gets it. I’ve been working with her for the past 4 – 5 months to heal my past trauma and reframe unhelpful thought patterns with a compassion-focused, trauma-informed approach. I’m also currently in the process getting assessed for neurodiversity and will find out the results very soon!
My 2022 has involved a lot of internal work, which is why I haven’t been as externally focused as previous years. It was a year of havening, nurturing, tending to my needs as I excavated old wounds, rediscovering my inner belonging. All of which provides a strong foundation for where I want to go with 2023. Stay tuned. 😉