It’s hard to believe that next week it’s December and the final month in a year that has brought so much change to what we thought was reality. I look back on January and it feels both a moment and a million miles away. Although I know the girl I was back then, I feel like a different person. Upon reflection this year has taught me so much and I thought I would share it here.

Dream big and be resilient

Within the first lockdown I pitched a second book which was sadly declined by two publishers. Thereafter a little lull came in my work as we all tried to get our heads around and navigate the unknown. I definitely felt a feeling of rejection. As the weeks went by more and more events and contracts were cancelled and my anxiety start to spiral. Sleepless nights created a cycle of sleeping in, drinking a little too much coffee and worrying followed. I’ve gone on detox retreats annually for the past 10 years and always returned feeling revived and refreshed and a flicker of that feeling came into my mind during one of those long sleepless nights. Intuitively I knew what I needed to do and I embarked on one of two detox weeks I have done this year which I wrote about >here<

Under the encouragement of my brother I spoke about the second one on my instagram and it gave me a wave of confidence. Whilst I know juice detoxing is not for everyone, for me it’s been transformative, and it felt so lovely to honestly share. I then developed an online class and will be launching it into a workshop in January. My passion is communicating about health and wellness and whilst another book would have been wonderful, in this way I can still do what I love and I've found an inner sense of resilience to navigate and adapt to change as it comes.

year in review, Holly White, Codex Skincare, Wellness, Irish Vegan Blogger

Support brands that care for our gorgeous planet

The highlights of other years would have been punctuated with memorable meals in restaurants, occasional concerts and travelling to foreign destinations. This year some of the loveliest moments have been early morning swims in the icy cold sea, walks in drizzle and rain up the Dublin mountains and enjoying catch ups in parks with friends. The regenerative properties of nature have been well studied and this is a fascinating article worth reading -

In one early study, Yoshifumi Miyazaki, a forest-therapy expert and researcher at Chiba University in Japan, found that people who spent 40 minutes walking in a cedar forest had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is involved in blood pressure and immune-system function, compared with when they spent 40 minutes walking in a lab.

Another researcher, Dr. Qing Li, a professor at the Nippon Medical School in Tokyo, found that trees and plants emit aromatic compounds called phytoncides that, when inhaled, can spur healthy biological changes in a manner similar to aromatherapy, which has also been studied for its therapeutic benefits. In his studies, Li has shown that when people walk through or stay overnight in forests, they often exhibit changes in the blood that are associated with protection against cancer, better immunity and lower blood pressure.

Recent studies have also linked nature to symptom relief for health issues like heart disease, depression, cancer, anxiety and attention disorders.

One way of helping to conserve these gorgeous spaces is to support and buy from brands that truly care. Codex Beauty sustainably wild harvest and source organic ingredients and look to biotechnology and up-cycled materials for the rest. Their skincare is packaged in tubes made from renewable sugar cane that have a negative carbon footprint and are easily recyclable.

True Friends and Family relationships are the key to a happy life

I’ve always had a bit of social anxiety. Working events tend to be easier to navigate but crowded pubs and parties always brought up nerves and I would find myself over-thinking, worrying and feeling insecure. This year there have been none of the above and I’ve realised who my friends are. I wish it hadn’t taken me this long to realise that whilst, like most people, there are plenty of people I know socially and through work, I can count my real friends on both hands and that’s it. Those are the people who I feel supported and uplifted by, where my secrets are safe, and I feel loved for who I am. People will come and go in and out of our lives but I wish I hadn’t wasted so much time taking that ebb and flow so personally

Invest in your self-care

It’s almost impossible to be motivated if you’re exhausted and sometimes putting down the to-do list in favour of a chilled out night is what’s needed. I feel as if there are two parts of me. One is so disciplined, wants to get up early, exercise and accomplish. There’s the other part of me that mindlessly potters about the house, scrolls endlessly online, zones out and re-watches videos I've seen countless times on YouTube whilst eating noodles and vegan chocolate. It’s taken me a long time to accept this part of myself and to value her contribution to the fact that I’m a human being and not everything has to be productive. One morning by the sea someone told me that that was the part of me they liked, the one that they could relax around, and it was as if a 37 year old weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

That part of me that occasionally demands a sleep in, a bit of indulgence and some unscheduled time is what charges me up. Little did I know all along that that was the part of me is worthy of love too.

Whatever it is that you need to reset, embrace and enjoy it and know it has your best interests at heart too.

Sending you all so much love and I hope amid the ups and downs this year there have been pockets of unexpected joy. God’s delays are not god’s denials and we must let go of the life we had planned to make way for the one that is waiting for us. To 2021.

Thank you to Codex Beauty for collaborating with me on this post. To learn more about Codex Beauty see codexbeauty.com Codex beauty is now available in Brown Thomas and Arnotts.