My New Years Day Ritual

I start the year off by showing up for myself; setting the tone for a year of self love

After a "festive" night of cleaning and smudging my room, doing some reflections in my journal and letting go of what does not serve me in the form of burning pieces of paper in a small cup, I prepare for my new years day ritual.

In 2020, I began prioritizing self care. One way in which I did this was by waking up at 5am and watching the sunrise at my nearest beach. I loved how peaceful this time of day at the beach was compared to its typical abundance of tourists and locals, alike. Hearing the waves crash and watching as the sun slowly lit up the morning sky granted me serenity in a way that I have never experienced before. In just an hour or two, I was able to let go of my day to day hardships and allow the beauty and peace of this landscape to absorb me. Eventually, watching the sunrise at the beach became a frequent source of release for me. It became a way for me to stop time and connect back to my source and myself.

In 2021, I made this self care routine my new years day ritual. I wanted to start off the year with a personal activity that gave me joy and peace. I wanted the space and time to journal, read and do some mindful meditations while sitting in front of the ocean. The year 2020 and all of its chaos showed me that these moments of self care are seldom given to you. You must prioritize these habits for yourself. And by setting the tone for a year of self love, that is exactly what I did. Throughout the year, I would find myself using spare pockets of time to take walks, sunbathing or treating myself. No matter where I was or how much my day to day obligations imposed themselves on me, I was able to stop time all over again. This new years day ritual helped me to remember that being alone and being lonely are not one in the same: a realization that I would carry me through even my hardest moments during the year. What better way to start off the year than in my own abundant company?

So we are officially in 2022! Though the COVID-19 pandemic refuses to part ways with us, still, I am hopeful for the future. I woke up this morning bright and early and watched the first sunrise over the Atlantic ocean. Afterwards, I visited my favorite smoothie bowl place and took some time to appreciate how far I have come and that no matter how tired I was this morning, I still showed up for myself by partaking in this new years day ritual. Though this is only my second year of doing this ritual, I promise myself that I will always begin the new year with personal quality time. We never know what's in store for the upcoming year but what I do know is that luckily, I will be there supporting and loving myself every step of the way starting with these little pockets of self-care every January 1st.