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There are seasons, months, weeks, days, and hours when showing up for yourself feels intuitive. Your mornings are slow, your breath is steady. You know what you need, and you offer it freely.

Then, there are seasons where you feel like a stranger in your own body: disconnected, overrun, or just off. This blog is a love letter to both, and to every version of you in between.

To “show up” doesn’t always mean the perfect five-step morning routine. Sometimes, it’s brushing your teeth after crying, or choosing silence, or remembering that beautiful body is yours.

The choice to stay and to return is an ongoing, nonlinear practice. It might feel awkward at times, but it’s yours!

When You Feel Disconnected

Here are a few low-effort, high-impact actions for coming back to yourself:

• Warm your hands, place them on your chest or neck, and ask: “what do I need right now?”

• Start to track micro-joys instead of only task-based lists.

• Start to experiment with intentionally taking up space when you sit, stretch, or speak. Let your body remember it belongs here.

When You Can Only Feel Your Head 

Pick a medium that best suits your way of releasing thoughts, ideas, stresses, imaginations, everything going nonstop in your head. Once you’ve written, drawn, painted, sung, played, danced it out - pause. Notice what keeps showing up. Is there a theme, a need, a nudge that keeps asking for your attention? 

When You’ve Been Neglecting Your Body 

Experiment with self-touch, without the pressure of it being necessarily sexual. Gentle reminder that not every act of intimacy needs to be sexual, but everybody deserves care.

• Drag your fingers gently down your neck, thighs, backs of your arms, scalp - especially the parts you often overlook. 

• Take the time to ask and check in with your body.

• What do you need today? 

• How can I help you feel safe?

• What would feel good?

When You Feel Unlovable

Explore saying affirmations out loud, ensuring you find at least a few that feel nurturing, and close to home. Here are a few to try:

• “I’m learning to trust myself again.”

• “I’m allowed to take up space, even on the days I feel smallest.”

• “I’m rebuilding, slowly and gently, at my own pace.”

💌For further reading and listening, we love this “illustrated guide to showing up for yourself” from NPR, Alex Elle’s Substack, and "Tapping Into Your Wholeness" from the Lavendaire Lifestyle podcast with Cathy Heller.

PS, there’s always new content on our blog and the ‘gram too!