Micro Self-Care Habits to Break the People-Pleaser Cycle in 2026

If you’ve spent most of your life prioritizing the comfort, needs, and expectations of others, consider this your gentle invitation back to yourself. You are allowed, truly allowed, to choose yourself first.

In fact, your well-being depends on it!

As a recovering people-pleaser myself, I know all too well the pitfalls of needing to please everyone but myself. To the point of self-sabotage! It took me many years on this healing journey to even realise this was what I was doing, to myself.

People-pleasing often begins as a childhood survival strategy. I learned early on that harmony meant safety, that being “good” meant love, and that shrinking myself kept the peace. These self-abotaging patterns may have protected me once, but not anymore.

As you move toward a new year, and if you still carry these people pleasing cycles, it’s worth asking with compassion: Is this way of being still nourishing my spirit?

What if the small acts of care you long for aren’t indulgent, but sacred? What if tending to your inner world is actually the foundation that allows you to show up authentically, wholeheartedly, and sustainably for the people you cherish?

In case you haven’t heard it lately:

You deserve space to rest and recharge.
You deserve to take up room in your own life.

If you’re ready to make 2026 the year you stop self-abandoning and begin self-belonging, start with these practices so small they feel almost effortless. Small shifts can open big inner doors…

Continue reading “Micro Self-Care Habits to Break the People-Pleaser Cycle in 2026”

The Light Within the Wound: 5 Rumi Quotes for Spiritual Growth

Rumi’s words have stirred something sacred and tender within us for centuries and still continue to do so. That deep longing to return to the truth of who we are. His poetry speaks not only to mystics but to every soul navigating the complexities of being human.

I began reading Rumi’s poetry when I was 12 years old, because my dad’s book case was full of Rumi, Gibran and many more. I still remember my dad asking me if I understood anything when he found me reading Rumi’s poetry. I promptly responded saying, “No dad, but its very calming to read. It feels like the waves feel at the beach.” He smiled and said, “You get it and you’ll keep getting it. Read on!”

I often find that Rumi’s wisdom bridges the gap between therapy and transcendence. His verses guide us through the very human processes of pain, transformation, and awakening.

Below are five of my most loved quotes by Rumi, explored through the lens of both psychology and spirituality, an invitation to see how these teachings can illuminate your path of inner growth as they have mine ❤

Continue reading “The Light Within the Wound: 5 Rumi Quotes for Spiritual Growth”

10 Gentle Signs That You Are Stressed(& that your soul is asking for care and renewal)

“Every day brings a choice: to practice stress or to practice peace.” ~ Joan Borysenko

I used to think I can take any amount of pressure in my 20″s. And I did excel under pressure at the time. I would study until late for exams and then go take them on 2 hours of sleep. I did and still do work well under stress. However, while I could achieve results under stress, I did not realize how I was harming my own body and mind in the process.

It was about a year after my daughter was born, when I started to see the full effect of the stress taking over my mind and body. It took the form of persistent migraines, lower back aches, dark circles under my eyes and forgetfulness. It was then that I realised something was seriously wrong. Physically, all my tests were normal, and that was a wake up call for me. I knew I had put so much pressure on myself, and needed to take back control of my life. For my sake and my baby’s.

Stress is the psyche’s way of signaling that something within or around you feels out of alignment. It arises when your inner sense of harmony is disrupted by a perceived challenge or demand that seems greater than your current capacity to meet it. In essence, stress is the body’s sacred messenger, alerting you to areas where balance, boundaries, or deeper presence are needed. When experienced in small doses, it can awaken growth, focus, and resilience. But when it lingers, when tension becomes your constant companion, it can fragment both body and spirit, calling for restoration, compassion, and mindful recalibration of your inner world.

Here are 10 gentle signs that your spirit may be stressed and is asking for care and renewal… along with reflections and healing practices for each.

Continue reading “10 Gentle Signs That You Are Stressed(& that your soul is asking for care and renewal)”