Return to Me

The day starts. Your to-do list begins to populate in your mind as soon as the alarm sounds. You set the sound to the most calming chime your iPhone has on its list of choices, but still, as soon as it goes off and the day hits you, the anxiety hits. All the tasks that need to be done even before you leave the house. All the needs of the kids, the reminders of what not to forget. A continual return to your 16-year-old's room to make sure he's not going back to sleep after his alarm and your subsequent wake-up nudge didn't do the trick. (Just a peak into my own morning routine!)

You manage a cup of coffee; there's your time to yourself. You savor that first sip. The feel of the warm liquid hitting your lips and flowing down your esophagus into your waiting stomach is glorious. It's the first, and maybe only, moment of being in the present, experiencing yourself, you actually have at the start of your day. Everything else is on autopilot.

And this, right here, is the problem.

We spend so much time moving through our days as if they are checklists that need to be completed rather than experiences to be lived. The connection we have with ourselves—our true selves—gets buried under the noise of errands, obligations, work, and taking care of everyone else's needs. And yet, at the heart of everything, you are still here. You still exist outside of all of these responsibilities. The question is: do you ever return to yourself?

Because when you don’t, something deeper happens—something we don’t talk about enough. You begin to abandon yourself.

Self-abandonment isn't loud. It's subtle. It's skipping meals because you're too busy. It's not speaking up when something hurts. It's putting your needs last, every single time, until you forget you even have them. It's smiling when you're exhausted, saying “I’m fine” when you're anything but, and losing touch with the quiet, knowing voice inside you—the one that’s always been there, waiting.

Returning to yourself isn’t some grand spiritual awakening or a week-long retreat in the mountains (though those are nice, and HIGHLY recommended if possible!). It’s a daily practice, a commitment to making sure you don’t disappear in the midst of your own life. It’s the conscious decision to check in, to ask, “How am I feeling? What do I need? What do I want?”—not just in the rare quiet moments but in the chaos of the day. It's the commitment to the relationship with yourself. It's the most important relationship you will ever have. If it's not healthy, neither will any other relationships in your life.

And while it might feel selfish at first, tuning into your own needs is actually the most selfless thing you can do. Because when you are centered, nourished, and connected to your truth, everyone around you benefits. You show up with more presence. You love more deeply. You model self-respect to your children. You build stronger boundaries in your relationships. And most importantly, you stop abandoning the one person who has been with you through everything—yourself.

This return is not a one-time event. It’s an ongoing invitation. Every time you pause to take a breath before reacting. Every time you ask yourself what you need. Every time you give yourself permission to rest, to say no, to speak up, to be still, to take up space. Every time you do those things, you return to you.

You don’t have to overhaul your life to find yourself again. You just have to start showing up—for you.

Use the Journal Prompt to go a bit deeper: Where in my daily life do I tend to abandon myself? What might it look like to return to myself, even in small ways, starting today?

Try this Affirmation: I will not leave myself behind. I return to me—again and again—with love, grace, and compassion.

Here are small, intentional acts of self-connection you can weave into your day:

• Start the morning with you. Before your feet even hit the floor, take one deep breath and check in. Set an intention, even if it’s something as simple as “I will show myself kindness today.”

• Use transition moments. That drive to work, the wait in the carpool line, the moments between meetings—use them to reconnect. Take a deep breath, unclench your jaw, and bring your mind back to yourself.

• Savor the small things. That first sip of coffee? Turn it into a ritual. The warmth of the sun on your skin? Let yourself really feel it. These tiny moments of presence add up.

• Speak to yourself like a friend. If you wouldn’t say it to someone you love, don’t say it to yourself. Period.

• End the day with a return. Before bed, reflect: “Did I honor myself today? What do I need to feel more connected tomorrow?”

  
  

Life is always going to be busy. Responsibilities aren’t going anywhere. But the difference between losing yourself in the day and moving through the day with yourself intact is the commitment to return to you—to keep that relationship with yourself alive and well. Because at the end of it all, the most important person you’ll ever come home to is you.

Return to you, gently, fully, and without apology.

The purest symbol of one and only love is the single rose. It's time to give one to yourself.