Returning to Yourself: A Spring Awakening

For several years, I was someone who'd choose a word of the year.

It started during a time when I really needed something to hold onto.

At the beginning of my burnout journey several years ago, a dear friend introduced me to the idea. It was something she had come across from Melinda Gates. The words replaced New Year Resolutions.

And as we were both in a season of healing and self improvement, the words became intentions to guide mindset and encourage action.

They helped us:

To understand ourselves

To move forward in a way that felt better than where we had been

Selecting a word each year gave me something to return to

Something that grounded me

Something that made everything feel a little less overwhelming

Every winter, I'd take the time to pause and tune into thoughts and feelings. Words like acceptance, release, growth, flourish would come to me.

But over time, something shifted.

I realised I didn’t just need a word.

I needed something deeper.

Not something that felt like another expectation

Not something I could quietly turn into pressure

Not something I would end up using against myself on the days I didn’t “live up to it”

But something that could hold me… gently.

So this year, instead of a word, I’ve chosen a theme for the year: Returning to yourself

Not in a way that suggests you are lost

But in a way that honours how easy it is to drift away from yourself in the busyness of life

Walking the journey, not teaching from the finish line

One thing I want to be really honest about…

I’m still on this journey too.

Yes, I may have experienced burnout

Yes, I may have done a lot of reflection and inner work

Yes, I may have tools and insights to share

But that doesn’t place me at the end of the road.

It simply means I might have walked a little further ahead on certain paths.

And even then… I’m still learning.

Still noticing

Still unlearning

Still being brought back to myself in unexpected ways

Because life doesn’t stop happening just because we’ve done the work.

And I think that’s important to say.

Growth isn’t about arriving somewhere perfect.

It’s about being present with where you are, as you are.

Spring: A season of awareness and awakening

There is something about spring that feels like a quiet invitation.

Not to rush

Not to reinvent yourself overnight

But to notice

To gently wake up to yourself again

After the stillness of winter, things begin to shift

Light returns

Colour reappears

Energy slowly rises

And nature doesn’t force it

It unfolds

That’s the part I always come back to

Spring teaches us that growth doesn’t need to be aggressive

It doesn’t need to be loud

It doesn’t need to be rushed

It can be soft

It can be gradual

It can be led by awareness

Noticing without judgement

This season, I’m leaning into awareness

Not fixing

Not analysing

Not trying to become a “better version” of myself overnight

Just noticing

Noticing my energy

Noticing my patterns

Noticing where I feel aligned… and where I don’t

And doing so without judgement

Because awareness, on its own, is powerful

It creates space

It creates choice

It creates the possibility for something different

Let nature guide you back

If you’re not sure where to begin, start simple

Step outside

Pause for a moment

Take in what’s around you

Notice how nothing in nature is rushing… yet everything is growing

Let that be your reminder

You don’t have to have everything figured out right now

You don’t have to force your next step

You can begin by simply returning to yourself

A gentle reflection

What are you noticing about yourself in this season?

No judgement

No pressure to change it immediately

Just awareness

If this resonates, take this as your reminder

You don’t need to become someone new

You can come home to who you already are