Happy New Year!
May you greet 2025 with as much enthusiasm, vitality, and joy as my little Lucy!
It’s been quite a while since I’ve blogged, and I’m thinking of beginning again.
“Beginning again” is such a powerful concept. It’s a reminder that life isn’t linear; it’s cyclical and full of opportunities to start fresh. Whether after a setback, a period of reflection, or simply the desire for change, we all have the chance to renew ourselves.
I can’t pinpoint when I stopped blogging—maybe two years ago?—but since then, I’ve been on a deep dive into old childhood trauma. While I’ve worked with therapists and coaches since I was 25, this is the first time I’ve partnered with a trauma-informed practitioner. That nuance has made all the difference. It’s been hard work— painful at times—but the healing is deeper than I imagined possible.
This process has also transformed my work with clients. As I heal, I study, train, and translate what I’m learning into my coaching. The results my clients are experiencing feel more powerful than ever.
As things begin to settle again for me, I feel creative energy bubbling up. Right before the New Year, I decided to leave social media because it zapped my creativity and didn’t feel healthy. Still, I miss the glimpses into others’ lives and sharing glimpses of my own. So, here I am, testing the waters with this “beginning again” post to see if this is where my creative energy wants to go.
Life’s Constant Curveballs
Several of my entrepreneurial clients are also beginning again. Life throws curveballs, and adjustments are inevitable. Flexibility, resilience, and the ability to self-regulate and co-regulate are critical skills to develop.
(Watch this deer on my trail cam trust his system to take care of him when he gets startled! Within minutes, he will be fully regulated again.)
But pivoting isn’t easy. Our brains crave predictability, black-and-white certainty, and comfort zones. Yet change is inevitable. We can resist it, or we can learn to embrace it. Not for the faint of heart, I know.
Partnering with change requires expanding our window of tolerance—the range where we feel balanced and safe—and learning how to return to it when we’re knocked out. This takes practice: self-regulation, tapping into our innate resilience, and trusting that our systems constantly seek equilibrium and know how to get there.
Tools for Returning to Balance
I’ve been experimenting with ways to return to a regulated state (ventral vagal, for those familiar with Polyvagal theory). Here are some things that help me:
Working somatically with a trauma-informed practitioner
Setting healthy boundaries
Walking in the forest every day
Listening to music
Getting enough sleep
Staying off social media and television
Cutting out sugar and alcohol
Drawing, writing, and creating
Gathering with good friends (co-regulation)
(I’ve been drawing. It helps me come back into regulation, and it’s fun!)
What about you? Do you know what helps you return to a regulated state?
If not, start paying attention. Notice when you feel most connected, calm, and safe. What led you there? Was it a walk, a conversation, music, movement? Make a list of these moments so that when life feels overwhelming, you’ll have a roadmap back to your center.
Begin Again
The New Year is a natural time to begin again—but the truth is, you can start fresh anytime. Life is messy, cyclical, and beautifully imperfect. Growth isn’t linear. Success isn’t linear. It helps to know that.
So, who do you want to be in 2025? Start with a beginner’s mind. Learn to self-regulate and co-regulate. Tap into your resilience and flexibility. You’ve got this.
I’d love to hear from you:
What helps you self-regulate? Share your tips—they might inspire someone else.
Should I start blogging again? Let me know your thoughts.
Thanks for reading. Lucy and I wish you all the best in 2025!
(My sweet Lucy!)