2025 has been a busy and fast year for me. Many things have changed for me and my family. It has also made me a better person. I’ve realized the need to care for myself. I strive to find the delicate balance when doing so.

The year indeed has had its challenges and many, many changes, some of them were pretty hard and swift. Others showed me the reality of my long-term behaviors. I needed to improve them and focus on being a better person. I wanted to do this, not because I had to. I got my mental health back on track. I then proved many of the thoughts I had in the past were wrong. I had never really tried to see before that what I thought wasn’t a possibility actually was. Many other necessary things I use for self-care are just as essential as my medication.

That was the biggest thing of the year. I also understood that my mother was my father’s full-time caregiver. This started after he was discharged from many months of Rehab in a Veterans’ Hospital. This required more attention. It made me start the process of untethering from her more and more. I learned that I had to stop verbally abusing her. I had to stop making hurtful statements about myself when I was with her. This practice had gone on for far too long.

This year I learned that boundaries need to be respected. Honoring boundaries is important. Certain boundaries must always be respected. I expect someone to respect me in certain ways. I also had to learn better ways to cope with my anxiety. This started with letting go of old beliefs and thoughts about things that no longer exist. They are no longer true or used in the way they are now. I also started recognizing when I was stressed and needed to practice self-care. I also learned that self-care can be intended for distraction purposes. It can be very helpful if used in the right way at the right times.

I learned that I had to be patient with my medication taking, that it was not a quick fix. It took giving myself grace and that progress over perfection mattered more than everything else. Just knowing how important it was made things easier. I had to let go of many years of flawed thoughts and theories. I had to be patient and let them enter and stay in my system for some time. I accepted once again that it is perfectly acceptable to take time for self-care. This year, life has at times been stressful and challenging for me and many around me.

Lastly, as I close out 2025, I am starting to rid myself of the trash. This trash needed to be taken out a long time ago. I am human and mistakes happen, but I am doing better. People go and come back into my life, things change and what is history needs to be just that, history. Part of that is closing the door on 2025. It also involves letting go of what no longer has a use in my life going into 2026.

Happy New Year!