Tag: wellness

Mental Health, Mindfulness, Seasonal - Holidays

Daily Candle Rituals for Stress Relief This Holiday Season

Corie Muldoon

Skip the expensive self-care products. This holiday season, strengthen your spirit with the oldest ritual in the book: lighting a candle.

Here’s why it works: the simple act of lighting a candle signals your brain that it’s time to pause. That flame becomes focal point, a micro-meditation.

The simple act of lighting a candle can ground us when holiday chaos peaks. And it’s my favorite way to bring some warmth and comfort into my home!

Your new daily candle rituals:

  • Morning reset: Light a candle while you drink coffee. Watch the flame for 60 seconds before checking your phone
  • Evening wind-down: Light a candle during dinner prep or while journaling. Let it mark the transition from “doing” to “being”
  • Stress relief: Feeling overwhelmed? Light a candle, take three deep breaths, and watch the flame dance

Lighting a candle is all about the intentional pause you’re creating.

Try this today: Buy a pack of tealight candles and light one during a transition in your day. Notice how it shifts your energy!

I bought cute little candle holders from the dollar store and 6-hour burning time tea lights from amazon. They bring me so much joy and help me slow down :p

Share your thoughts below!

Experiences, Goals

Why Collecting Experiences Beats Collecting Things

Corie Muldoon

Research shows collecting Experiences provides more lasting happiness than collecting material things.

We adapt to new things quickly and the excitement fades.

But Experiences become apart of who we are and give us stories to share for years to come. With pictures and memories that can last a lifetime!

Why experiences win:

  • Anticipation is free happiness – Planning a trip gives you weeks of excitement before you even go
  • Memories appreciate – That date gets better every time you retell it
  • Social connection – Experiences with others strengthen relationships
  • No buyer’s remorse – Even “bad” experiences become funny stories

Shifting your budget from things to experiences isn’t about deprivation. It’s about investing in what actually matters.

That $300 could be another piece of clothing you’ll forget about, or it could be a weekend adventure you’ll talk about for decades.

Try this today: Look at your last 3 purchases over $100. Would you trade any of them for a memorable experience instead? Plan one experience for next month.

Share your thoughts below!

This ties into our annual Kevin’s Rule experience planning

Experiences, Getting Started, Goals

Transform Your Resolutions with New Experiences

Corie Muldoon

Tired of breaking New Year’s resolutions by February? Switch from “lose 20 pounds” to “try 6 new hiking trails.” This simple shift changes everything.

Traditional resolutions focus on what you want to change about yourself.

Experience-based goals focus on what you want to explore in life.

Why experience goals work better:

  • They’re memorable – You’ll remember the weekend you tried rock climbing, not the day you ate 1,500 calories
  • Built-in accountability – Experiences require planning and commitment, making them harder to skip
  • Naturally builds habits – Regular adventures create momentum for other healthy changes

Instead of “exercise more,” plan to bike or kayak once a month.

Instead of “eat healthier,” commit to trying a new farmers market recipe bi-weekly.

Instead of “be more adventurous,” plan a camping trip once a quarter.

The habits follow the experiences, not the other way around.

Try this today: Write down 6 experiences you want to have in 2026 instead of traditional resolutions. Make them specific, scheduled, and exciting

Share your thoughts below!

Learn more about the Kevin’s Rule approach here

Lifestyle, Productivity, Technology

Capture Your Aha Moments: The Dual Notebook System

Corie Muldoon

Your best insights are worthless if you forget them by Tuesday.

Keep a paper AND digital notebook, and watch how quickly your life improves.

As a student of life, I’ve learned that brilliant ideas and necessary fixes hit at random moments. The dual notebook system ensures nothing gets lost.

Your Simple Setup:

  • Paper notebook: Keep one everywhere—bedside, gym bag, kitchen counter. Perfect for quick captures when inspiration strikes. Even a scrape of paper counts
  • Digital notes app: Use your phone’s notes app or Google Keep to get more organized, with searchable pinning options it’s easy to review ideas
  • Weekly reflection sheet: Every Sunday, review both notebooks and transfer action items to your written plans and calendar

Why This Works: Paper captures the raw moment without tech friction. Digital organizes and makes it searchable. The weekly review transforms scattered thoughts into actual change.

You’ll stop repeating the same mistakes. You’ll actually implement that workout tweak or nutrition adjustment you thought of mid-run. You become someone who learns and evolves, quickly.

Try this today: Buy a small notebook you love and write down one thing you’ve been meaning to fix about your routine.

Share your thoughts below!

Lifestyle, Mental Health, Movement

Sync Your Wellness: Use the Sun to Move and the Moon to Feel

Corie Muldoon

Our energy shifts with nature, so why wouldn’t our wellness routine?!

Here’s a fun concept: the sun guides movement and the moon guides emotional work. I started to sync physical activity with daylight patterns and shadow work with lunar cycles. It’s really transformed how I show up for myself.

Sun-Based Movement:

  • Summer: Long runs, outdoor workouts, extra sessions
  • Winter: Gentle yoga, indoor strength work, treadmill miles
  • Daily: Our body naturally craves movement in daylight

Moon-Based Emotional Work:

  • New Moon: Set intentions for what you want to release or grow
  • Full Moon: Journal deeply, process emotions, cycles of healing
  • Waning Moon: Examine patterns, release what no longer serves

This natural alignment reduces resistance. You’re working with your rhythms, not against them.

Try this today:

Check tonight’s moon phase and spend 5 minutes journaling about one emotion you’re ready to acknowledge.

Share your thoughts below!

Getting Started, Healthy Habits, Mental Health

Express Feelings Positively with the ‘I Feel’ Framework

Corie Muldoon

Here are my notes for communicating feelings and needs to others in a productive, positive way:

Instead of bottling up emotions or exploding in frustration, let’s work on expressing our thoughts, feelings, and needs in a productive and positive way. This is one of my biggest weaknesses (continuing and never-ending improvement). It’s been fun learning new ways to process emotions and express myself.

The “I Feel” Framework helps you communicate what’s really going on without any blame or judgment.

Why it works: When you start with “I feel” instead of “You always” or “You never,” you take ownership of your emotions while inviting understanding instead of defensiveness. It transforms conflicts into conversations.

The “I Feel” Framework:

1. Name it:“I feel [frustrated/overwhelmed/hurt]…”

2. Link it: “…when [specific situation happens]…”

3. Need it: “…because I need [respect/support/help].”

4. Ask for it: “Would you be willing to [specific action]?”

Example: Instead of “You never help around here” … try: “I feel overwhelmed when the chores pile up because I need some team work”. Would you be willing to handle dishes after dinner?”

This approach validates your feelings, explains the impact, and offers a clear path forward. No one gets defensive, everyone gets heard.

Try this today: Next time you feel frustrated, pause and run through the “I Feel” Framework before speaking. Notice how the conversation shifts.

Share your thoughts below!