Joy is part of your energy hygiene…💛

💛Summer of Healing with Donna Marie

✨A gentle journey back to yourself✨

Summer Reflection | Week Five - Joy is part of your energy hygiene

This morning I set my alarm earlier than usual and, if I'm honest, I could have quite happily rolled over and gone back to sleep. My body felt really tired, and I knew I had a busy day ahead of me. There was a long to-do list waiting for me, messages to reply to, work to finish and about a hundred different things already competing for my attention before I'd even got out of bed.

For a few moments I lay there wondering whether I should skip my walk. It would have been so easy to convince myself that I didn't have time. But then I reminded myself of something I've learnt over the past few years.

✨Looking after my energy isn't something I do if I have time – it's something I make time for.✨

So up I got, put my headphones on and headed outside.

As I walked, I could instantly feel my shoulders beginning to soften. The fresh morning air filled my lungs, the music settled my busy mind and before I knew it I wasn't thinking about my to-do list anymore. I was simply walking, noticing the colours and sounds of nature all around me and allowing myself to become completely present.

When I came home, I made myself a lovely homemade coffee ☕and sat quietly in the garden with my crystals for a few minutes before starting work.

Nothing extraordinary happened on that walk. I didn't solve all my problems, my to-do list was still waiting for me when I got home and life certainly hadn't changed overnight. But I had changed. My mind felt calmer, my shoulders softer and my energy lighter. Sometimes that's all we need...

It made me realise that this is what I've been trying to put into words over the past few weeks.

I've started calling it… Energy Hygiene.

We all understand and know what personal hygiene is. We brush our teeth every morning, shower, wash our clothes and look after our physical health because we know those things matter. Yet so many of us move through life carrying stress, worry, overwhelm and even other people's energy without ever stopping to clear any of it away.

Then we wonder…

❔Why do I feel so exhausted?

❔Why am I snapping at the people I love?

❔Why won't my mind switch off?

❔Why do I feel disconnected from myself?

Our energy needs looking after too.

For me, energy hygiene isn't about adding another task to an already busy day. It's about choosing small moments that help me reconnect with myself before life starts pulling me in every direction.

That might be a walk in nature with my headphones on, dancing around the kitchen whilst doing the dishes, sitting quietly in my summerhouse with a coffee and my crystals, practising self-Reiki or meeting friends and laughing until my belly hurts. Sometimes it's as simple as dancing barefoot on the grass, taking a few deep breaths or giving one of my favourite trees a hug.

None of these things are complicated, and none of them cost very much either. Every single one reminds my nervous system that I am safe. They bring me back into the present moment instead of allowing my thoughts to race ahead to everything I think I should be doing.

💛 Donna Marie's Summer Soul Practice

This week, I invite you to create your own 15-minute Energy Hygiene Ritual.

It doesn't have to be complicated and it certainly doesn't have to be perfect. The intention is simply to pause before the busyness of life takes over and reconnect with yourself.

💚 Take a short walk in nature, even if it's only around the block

🤍 Listen to music that lifts your mood

☕ Make yourself your favourite drink and savour every sip without scrolling on your phone

🌈 Hold a crystal that makes you feel grounded or joyful

💚 Spend a few quiet moments outside, noticing what you can see, hear and feel

🤍 Take three slow, deep breaths and ask yourself:

"How do I want to feel today?"

You don't have to do every one of these. Choose one or two that resonate with you and simply notice how your energy feels afterwards.

The smallest daily rituals often create the biggest shifts in our energy.

✨Joy isn't a distraction from healing - it is a part of healing✨

For so many years I believed I had to earn those moments. I'd tell myself I'd go for the walk once I'd finished working, sit in the garden once everything was done or dance when life felt a little less busy. The problem is, the list is never finished. There will always be another email, another load of washing, another appointment or another responsibility waiting for us tomorrow.

If we keep waiting for life to slow down before we look after ourselves and our energy, we could be waiting forever.

As we continue our Summer of Healing together, I want you to remember this.

Looking after your energy isn't another thing to squeeze onto your to-do list. It's the foundation that allows you to show up for everything else.

You deserve moments of peace, moments of joy and you deserve to take up space in your own life.

So this week I'd love you to ask yourself one simple question:

➡️What is one small thing that brings me joy and helps me look after my energy?

It doesn't have to be perfect or take hours to do - it just has to remind you that you matter too.

✨ Donna Marie's Energy Hygiene tip of the week

Start your day with intention, not your phone.

Give yourself a few quiet moments before checking emails or social media.✨

Perhaps your own energy hygiene begins with something as simple as stepping outside, taking a deep breath and giving yourself permission to smile.

Be kind to yourself this week - your energy is worth protecting. 🤍

Love and light,

Donna Marie 💚✨