~Bailey Shawley, M.Ed, CCTS-F, Specialized Parenting & Educational Consultant
I’m not quite sure how it happened, but we have arrived at New Year’s Eve. We have enjoyed the anticipation of the holidays and time spent with loved ones, and now it’s nearly 2025 in the blink of an eye. This means, of course, that everyone’s on social media since they’re not at work, and our feeds are being inundated by everyone’s accomplishments, hopes for the new year, and inspirational quotes. I’m asking you to let it be it this year. It’s well documented how social media impacts our mental health, from increased anxiety and depression to decreased self-worth with some FOMO mixed in. I’m here to remind you that you don’t have to compete with that girl you knew in eighth grade any more than you need to compare yourself to your besties. Forget keeping up with the Robinsons – give yourself permission to completely ignore them.
Sound a little harsh? Perhaps. But, I’ve worked with too many people who struggle to recognize their own progress and accomplishments because they think they didn’t do enough compared to so-and-so. That way of thinking leads us to believe that I am not enough, and that’s not okay. So, if you are one of the people who “just” got through 2024, I see you. And you need to drop the “just.”
It’s been a rough year for nearly everyone I know. Finances are tight, people have been ill, loved ones have passed, unwanted diagnoses were given, social unrest hit close to home, women have lost rights, minorities and marginalized groups are fearful that political leaders’ promises to harm them may come to fruition, and so many other struggles kept coming in waves in 2024. Too many of us had days when it was impossible to get out of bed. Too many of us had days when we couldn’t stop crying. Too many of us had days when our trauma responses froze us out of our lives. So, to then turn around and say that we didn’t accomplish X, or to compare ourselves to others, only makes this difficult life that much more difficult. Why do we do this to ourselves?
So, on this New Year’s Eve, my hope for you is that you allow yourself to have a gentle 2025. Take all of that energy you were directing toward others and turn it inward. Find someone to talk to who won’t judge. Spend time figuring out what self-care means for you and start pursuing it. Take one step at a time and honor each step you take instead of always searching for the next destination. Avoid the trap of thinking, “I’ll be happy when…” and build your own happiness each day. You may just find that you are living instead of surviving.
You don’t have to do this on your own. If you are ready to move forward with support, reach out to schedule a consultation. The initial one is free of charge to ensure we are a good fit for one another. Or, if you’d like to jumpstart your self-care routine, schedule a chakra reading or a Reiki healing session. All B Connecting, LLC services are confidential and judgment free.
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