Reclaiming Yourself — Listening Inwards

The yuletide season is often spent in celebration with friends and family. I spend mine in decantation — allowing unwanted energy to drain from my nervous system, reclaiming myself, my space, and my sense of identity.

This process isn’t perfect, and it takes time. Time can be painful, in the way sitting with yourself in silence can be painful — no noise, no distraction pulling you away from your inner voices.

Voices that judge you. Past experiences resurfacing. What-ifs, could-have-beens, and unresolved moments returning to load your thoughts with insecurity, challenging you on multiple levels.

When faced with these voices, I recognize my instinct for evasion — through games, social media, movies, series, constant activity — anything to keep my thoughts away from myself. These distractions can feel soothing in the moment, but they ultimately sever my connection to my inner voice: the one that whispers, that guides you in moments of doubt. That voice can only come through if you are open to receiving the signal.

If you are too distracted — only absorbing messages coming from society and culture — your ability to tune into your own inner guide diminishes. It becomes easier to fall into a spiral of causality: constantly reacting to external stimuli instead of acting with purpose, instead of hearing your own calling.

Naming a Few Truths

We are surrounded by noise — on public transit, in offices, in stores, in shared spaces. Everyone is tuned into their own frequency, often oblivious to their surroundings, unaware of the impact they have on others.

We are constantly solicited. Through advertising, media, and endless messaging, everything has become a commodity for sale. Prices rise while what we receive diminishes with each passing quarter. We are pushed products, concepts, and solutions meant to “fix” our lives — as if fulfillment were something external.

We are judged by output and contribution. We pay monthly and yearly simply to exist — through taxes, rent, and obligations. We are assigned numbers, turned into financial leverage for systems that expect us to integrate seamlessly. Systems that demand hyper-productivity while simultaneously working to replace us with AI, removing people from the very workforce they were engineered to serve.

Let go of what no longer roots you. What you release may become the soil of your next season.

What Can You Do?

Be conscious.

Reflect. Face your inner voices. Remember that it is okay to reach out for help if you feel overwhelmed.

Take time for yourself. Whatever has happened in your life that caused trauma or pain is, hopefully, over. This doesn’t erase the pain — it simply allows you to work with it.

Forgive yourself. You are human. Making mistakes is like having breakfast — it comes with the territory. Life is messy and sometimes hard. If the milk spills, cry if you need to. Always allow yourself to live your emotions. Then wipe up the spilled milk — there’s no point in letting it sour on the floor.

Learn.

Feed your curiosity. Discover something new. Choose a topic that genuinely interests you. You might uncover a hobby waiting quietly in the background — and at the very least, you’ll expand your general knowledge.

Move.

Regardless of your physical condition, movement is essential. It keeps the system circulating, helps eliminate toxins, improves blood flow, and lifts mood by stimulating endorphin release.

Clear unwanted energy. Burn calories. Gain strength and balance — all invaluable tools as we age.

It can be as simple as dancing in your home for twenty minutes a day, taking a walk, swimming, practicing yoga or tai chi. The options are limitless. Whether alone or with others, physical activity is crucial. It cleanses the body, sharpens the mind, and supports overall health.

Breathe.

This may seem obvious, but as society accelerates, many of us feel as though we are constantly trying to catch our breath.

What I’ve come to accept is this: the breakneck speed at which the world moves is not mine to control. It isn’t in my ballpark or my pay grade. Carrying that burden is unsustainable.

Trying to emulate that speed is detrimental. I must move at a pace I can manage.

Increasing productivity isn’t about doing more — it’s about working smarter. Eliminating unnecessary steps. Introducing automation where helpful. Creating a calendar that is realistic, not overwhelming.

Pause.

Rest is not failure. It is not unproductive. It is essential — it is how we recharge.

Society moves so fast it can feel as though we are expected to become automatons ourselves: always available, always producing, always accomplishing more.

But there are only so many minutes in a day, and only so much one person can give without needing to recharge in order to continue.

Time for Action and Rejuvenation

This year has already begun with intensity.

Politically charged. Uncertain. Loud.

In the face of this, the only way forward is forward — but at a pace that respects not only your goals and ambitions, but also your inner peace, your sense of belonging, and your purpose.

Keep an ear to the ground. Keep your finger on the pulse.
Just don’t forget to smell the flowers.

Remind yourself why you’re doing all of this in the first place.