What 2025 Taught Me

 1. Lymphatic drainage is your friend 

It doesn't have to be a big, oily 10-minute routine. I have oily skin and avoid putting much on my face. You can do a few simple movements each morning after brushing your teeth and washing your face. Pinching the muscle from behind your ear into your neck and tapping your collar bones to begin with, and dragging your knuckles under your chin and cheekbones and down your neck without too much pressure. These simple movements help my skin to stay clear and my face to look snatched. Ensuring you adequately move your body every morning and throughout the day also helps to keep the lymph pumping. The lymphatic system does not have its own pump, like your heart for your blood, so it relies on you to moving your body to get the fluid moving. The lymphatic system is in charge of removing toxins and waste from your body so it is important that you help it to clear itself daily. 

2. Nurture your friendships and relationships

This year, I left it too long to text my friend Eve, I should have nurtured the relationship more but I let it fall to the wayside because I became too caught up and busy with my own life. Friendships are the most important thing and I shouldn't have let this happen. Hopefully, she can forgive me. Always remember to look our for your friends, even a simple 'hey how are you' text can go along way. If you have a problem you should openly communicate instead of letting it fester, the same goes for romantic relationships. Always deal with issues as they arise, health relationships are key to well being and happiness.

3. Indecision is a decision 

Moving in any direction it's better than vibrating in one place, weighing up your options so long that you never go anywhere. You can only make decisions based on what you know and you can only learn things by going out there and living. Sometimes you need to take a leap of faith and move forwards even when your not sure of its the right way, you'll learn as you go along and you may even change directions. by moving in any direction at least you are gaining more insight into whats out there. There is no map, no one can tell you the course of your life. You just have to figure it out as you go along, and follow your curiosity, you might not get it right first time but getting it wrong is better than staying stagnant and not finding out anything more.

4. Follow your feelings

 Find out what makes you feel so stuck you want to die and avoid it at all costs. Find what fires you up, what makes you angry or excited, what touches you close to your heart. That might help you realise where you are headed. For me forestry and Ireland's ecological health is of the utmost importance,. As someone who grew up on the edge of a forest I have seen first hand the destruction of felled woodland and the bright orange stagnant waters and the general unhealthy look of the trees. I have witness the destruction of invasive species like Rhododendron which look beautiful in bloom but take over any small chance of diversity in an already mono-culture crop of Sitka Sprouse. As a major in English I am not exactly in the right field but my field is broad and I would love to get involved in a company that focuses on restoring Ireland's native forests and fights back against Cuilche's mono-culture sleuths of trees which are poisoning our soils and our water.

5. Honour your cycle: your body needs rest and movement in appropriate proportions.

Especially as a women for all the ladies out there. I am 24 years old and this is the first year I have begun to understand my cycle and how my body works. For so many years I pushed myself to be at the same level of productivity every single week and I was upset with myself if I couldn't meet these expectations. I have learned in my follicular phase (weeks 1 and 2) my appetite is low and my productivity is high, as I come down from this and enter the luteal phase (week three) my energy starts to wane and hunger begins to spike. For the fourth and final week I am hungry and tired. This is not hard and fast rules some days are exceptions and can be effected by other aspects of your life. Since honouring this and knowing it ahead of time I have healed my relationship with myself, my acne has almost disappeared and I feel a deep sense of well being and balance. We live on a 28 day cycle where men live on a 24 hour cycle, don't compare yourself to you boyfriend and his ability to hit the gym at the same rate every week. You are woman, you possess the magical power of creation and because of this you live in a different pattern which supports this power. 

Honour your need for rest. This doesn't mean you have to completely skip the gym for a whole week. You could drop a session or two, skip that run or both depending on how you feel that cycle, maybe do lighter weights of fewer sets. Its important to move your body regularly, just adjust how you move and how much you push to the different phases of your cycle, and most importantly trust how you feel your body knows what it needs. The fact we are not taught more about this in secondary school when we first get our period is a whole other conversation. But educating myself on this topic has been an empowering and transformative experience.

6. Savour every mouthful

Food is more than fuel for you body, it is comfort and nourishment for your soul. If you are not enjoying the flavors and textures then you are consuming them you are not feeling satisfied by them and later you will reach for something more potent that will satisfy that need, a bar of Dairy Milk or a packet of Oreo's for example. So don't omit the salad dressing if that's what makes you enjoy it. Don't force yourself to have porridge without honey when that doesn't taste as good. You will only end up rebounding and filling that hole some other way. I learned that you can make healthy choices and still enjoy food wholly completely and with your whole soul. Some recipes I made again and again were Reese's Pieces bites made with peanut butter oat flour honey and 85 percent dark chocolate its tastes as good as a Reese's Pieces cup but still works as a nutritious snack that wont spike your sugars and make you crave more. Another firm favourite were my healthy hobnobs made with oat flour almond flour honey and coconut oil. These work so well with a cup of tea or a glass or milk and satisfy that craving for something sweet. 

My final word of advice is Dark chocolate. I'll say it once and ill say it again, if you think you don't like it, try to. Start with 70 percent and work your way up. It is so satiating and satisfies that deep need for chocolate especially around your period. Unlike milk chocolate one or two squares is always enough you'll never want to finish the bar. It is also filled with hormone supporting minerals and antioxidants. I could count on one hand how many days in 2025 I went without having a square. It is a ritual at this point. Everyone deserved to experience the magic of cacao. Cacao powder with maple syrup as a healthy hot chocolate is another hack  which I will enjoy instead of coffee as a lift during the day as I am one of those people who cannot always stomach coffee, it often leaves me jittery and anxious, while cacao is soothing and uplifting. 

7. Friday night fakeaway 

Treat yourself to wholesome food that nourishes your body. Preparing food for yourself can be so therapeutic and the kitchen can be a place to wind down. Take your time and enjoy the process, things don't always need to be quick fast and in a hurry especially when it comes to eating. Consider this a time to slow down and savour each step. Craving a takeaway? No problem air-fried chips and high quality burgers satiates that craving every time, I prefer mine with friend onions and melted cheese dipped in mayo and ketchup, I am gluten free and skip the bun but this isn't necessary. If your feeling it, make a salad for extra colour and crunch. Salad doesn't have to be boring, adding cubes of smoked cheese and grapes can really elevate the experience along with olive oil salt and pepper. Fish and chips is another favorite of mine, bake yourself a nice piece of white fish in tinfoil with a slice of lemon and a knob of butter. Only about 20 minutes in the oven and it comes out perfect every time. Again your air-fried chips also only take 20 minutes,  just cut your potato into chip sized pieces, for extra crispy chips rinse and dry them to remove starch but if you're feeling lazy skip this step and they're still delicious, I like to coat mine in olive oil salt and oregano before cooking. 

Comfort food is absolutely essential to well being, making it healthy is how you transform your relationship with food. I can finally find solace and comfort in my meals again without feeling guilty. Sometimes all I want for dinner are chips beans and an egg. On those days that's exactly what I have. not everyday has to be perfect but always making your own food is a way of knowing exactly what has gone into it.

8. Check the ingredients

The quality of your food matters, so much of the food we buy today is highly processed, this is something that has only occurred in the last hundred years. For thousands of years we only ate whole foods because that was all that was available, now more and more people are suffering from mental health issues and auto immune diseases and many other health issues. New and developing research has linked this to our gut microbiome which is being damaged by the highly processed, poor quality food that we are consuming. It may seem convenient in the moment to reach for some packaged poison but look our for your longevity and avoid highly processed foods, your mood and energy will thank you for it in the immediate future and it will also have overwhelming long term benefits on your health.

9. Positive self talk

This may sound cliche but it is so impactful when you take it seriously and put it into practice. Even if you don't believe what you're saying at first, overtime it comes to be your unconscious truth, what you believe about yourself. The same unfortunately works both ways if you look at yourself and think negative, self deprecating thoughts these also become your unconscious truth. For example look in the mirror and say things like long thick luscious hair, healthy lean body, kind beautiful face. I have grown in self confidence using sentences like these both out loud and in my head. The less I practice this technique the more susceptible I am to low self esteem and the negative self talk creeps in, when I don't watch out for it. Thoughts and words are powerful don't let them work against you, use them to drive you onward and upwards. 

10. Self care moves mountains - Hygiene, journaling and alone time are key

For me self care is clean sheet every week, and a fresh towel twice a week. Its a clean face cloth everyday. It's a tidy space at all times. Hygiene is a huge part of my self care regime and tidiness, cleanliness and warmth bring me more joy than any festival or concert ever could. Epsom salts baths when I can have them are a glorious spa treatment from the ultimate comfort of your own home, straight into a pair of clean pajamas there are few feeling in life that can beat it. Self care for me is using my red light panel consistently,  it's exercising consistently and eating clean consistently. All of these things feel good in the moment even the times when its hard, because I know i'm in service to the best version of myself and this brings meaning into my life. Self care is also making sure I have enough alone time to decompress and reflect. Self care is filling out my self mastery journal everyday, reflecting on each day, week, and month and planning for the next. This writing exercise of planning and reflecting helps me to feel more in control are serves as a way of staying accountable for my goals and staying in tune with my intentions and aspirations.