What to Do When You Fall Off Your Routines (Without Spiraling into Shame)
Hello friends—
Since moving back to Mexico City from northern Michigan in late October, a few things have shifted in my routines:
🃏 I’ve fallen off my daily tarot + journaling practice
📱 I stopped posting daily Instagram content
💪 My movement practice dropped to 2-3 times a week
⏰ I even missed a yoga class I was supposed to teach after sleeping through my alarm
The list goes on. And sure—I could easily spiral into shame about it.
Sometimes, I do… briefly.
But here’s what I’ve learned as a coach, creative, and spiritual entrepreneur:
Shame shuts down the learning centers of the brain.
It doesn’t motivate—it paralyzes.
So instead of spiraling, I try to meet myself with curiosity and nervous system compassion.
Here’s the 4-step reflection I use to recalibrate (and what I recommend to my clients when they feel off track):
✨ Step 1: Pause and Acknowledge
Before rushing to “fix” anything, I simply notice.
“This is where I am right now.”
No judgment. Just presence.
✨ Step 2: Ask Gentle Questions
What do I need right now?
What is this phase trying to teach me?
Curiosity > Criticism. Always.
✨ Step 3: Reframe the Story
I remind myself: Falling off doesn’t mean failure.
It’s a signal. An invitation to realign—not a reason to self-abandon.
✨ Step 4: Choose One Small Step
Instead of overhauling everything, I pick one thing that reconnects me to myself.
Today, that step was writing this to you.
When I looked back, I realized my time wasn’t “wasted”—it just went elsewhere:
🔮 Diving into Human Design – I’ve been immersed in a certification and weaving this intuitive system into my coaching business.
👨👩👧 Quality Family Time – More moments with my nieces and nephew, which filled me up in ways no morning routine could.
🎓 Creating a New Mini Course – I’ve been building a guided program to help people create powerful, purpose-driven career shifts.
🧠 Expanding My Awareness – I recently joined a roundtable with Emily Anne Brandt on decolonizing coaching. The conversation was potent and necessary—fueling reflection and integration.
Here’s the thing:
Shame is a well-worn path for many of us.
It feels familiar. Automatic. Even safe.
But what does it actually give us?
Usually: inaction. Because the weight of shame keeps us stuck.
That’s why it’s essential to name your wins—especially when life feels messy.
✅ Wins don’t have to be massive.
✅ They can be tiny choices: pausing, asking a kind question, or making a 5-minute move back into alignment.
So I ask you: What’s one small win you can celebrate today?
You don’t have to “earn” your way back to your past self.
You get to choose what you bring with you, and what you leave behind.
I’m in your corner, always.
Kitty