I'm sitting on the couch after editing content and wanted to get my thoughts about this last year and the one ahead. I don't think this was an easy year for most of us. I struggled more this year with keeping my head above water than I can ever remember. Looking back, I remember saying that about 2020 and although that was a horrible year for me personally, I think that this year I didn't have the resilience I had in 2020. It may be that the years following that awful shit storm of a year wore me down. I won't get into detail, but this year I am just glad I'm here at the end looking toward 2024. So I'd like to share with you some lessons of 2023 that I had to learn.
Things I learned while navigating my poor mental health and trying to be a productive adult:
Being 'productive' is a symptom of capitalism and being raised by my conservative parents of a certain generation. Doing your job is one thing, but in my case, I was driving forward even though I didn't have the mental capacity to do so.
When I'm in that deep state of depression, none of my coping mechanisms from therapy or Google helped me. But what did, were the people I care about the most being present with me. Just knowing I'm not completely alone and still loved was everything.
I learned to be present. Period. Anxiety and depression had me jumping from one day to the next year and back so fast I got whiplash. Learning to just be ok in each moment helped me stop chewing on all that anxiety about how I thought I'd never come out of that depressive state.
Do something, anything, that brings even the slightest positive change in your energetic state. Sometimes for me that was just standing outside in the sun for a bit or playing fetch with the dogs.
My spiritual and witchy practice does, in fact, play into my mental health. I tossed it all to the side most of this year. I didn't have the energy nor the 'give a shit' to do even the smallest bit of my already dwindling practice. But the more I shut it out, the more isolated and alone I felt. Bringing back one thing helped so much. I started with giving coffee to my ancestors each morning. That helped me reconnect with my spiritual team. I started having little chats with my Guides and that led to doing more energetic maintenance, which helped my overall mental state.
Expectations ruin everything. I had big expectations for 2023 and the Universe basically laughed and said, "sit the fuck down, there's some shit you're gonna learn". That realization that I had to let a LOT of things go was devastating. I was already burned out going into this year and my physical and mental health issues had me benched right out the gate. I quit my podcast, stopped doing readings, and cancelled most of my in-person events. I was forced to deal with myself. I faced insecurities in my business, my physical appearance, my relationships, and learned I had a lot of insecurities about my spiritual practice that I had to deal with.
Those are the highlights of the lessons that I had to figure out this year. I hope that if you are reading this and you went through something similar, that you know you aren't alone. I can't say this enough, you are not alone in your struggles. We all have different issues, but it's the fact that we all have them that gives us common ground.
I wanted to make a blog post announcing my new courses and telling you about all the things I'm excited for in my business. But the above commentary on my 2023 came out of my head and onto this laptop instead.
So I'm going to leave you with some of my goals for 2024. I don't pick a 'word of the year' or do New Year's Resolutions. But I do have some things that I want to accomplish:
I will take social media breaks before I get overwhelmed. I know the signs that I display and will be self aware to know when that limit has been reached.
My business, teaching, readings, and coursework all come in behind my personal life. Spending time with my loved ones, my furbabies, and participating in hobbies that bring me joy come first. I also recognize that this being a goal that I can achieve is very privileged.
I'm going to travel to visit friends in 2024. There are people that my soul NEEDS to be physically near and I'm going to make that happen.
Tomorrow isn't guaranteed. I know that is a cheesy saying, but it is true. I want to fully appreciate the days I have. I will tell those I love that they are loved. I will say my truth to people without guilt. Boundaries will be upheld to protect the peace of each day I have.
I want us all to have a good year, one that lets us breathe easily and feel peace. May your year be filled with love, happiness, and prosperity!
With MUCH love,
DaNae
aka Witchy Woman