Embodying your Best Self – Chapter 1: Get out of a slump!

Posted on January 4, 2026 by Bhanu Misra Marya

Happy New Year! I had a restful and refreshing few days and now I’m stoked to get back to routine. I definitely love being able to enjoy the holidays with friends and family, doing festive activities and enjoying all the food and drink. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t crave my regular schedule! So, to get me get back on the right trajectory and help set me up for 2026 (aka making my big dreams happen) – I’m starting a new series on my blog called “Embodying my BEST SELF” a quick no fuss guide to help me (or anyone actually) get back to good habits, productivity and taking action towards on my goals. So let’s get into it!

Chasing your dreams, embodying the energy of your future self or just down right being productive can cause the best of us to get into a slump.

The first steps in getting out of a slump is realizing that you are in a slump. But a close second is realizing that the slump is usually based on your emotions/feelings based on your surroundings.

Your surroundings can be inclusive of your actual physical surroundings (think your house, your office space) but also your mental surroundings (like the type of people you are around, the content your are consuming or even how you are spending your time).

In any case, I like to think of a slump as the “valley” of our journey to our best self. And learning how to bounce back is just an opportunity to practice resiliency! Here are my top ways to bounce back from a slump.

Journal: I have been and will aways be a champion of journaling. Kidlin’s Law states: If you can write down a problem clearly, you’ve already solved half of it. So writing your thoughts, emotions and feelings down when you feel like you are in a slump, can help you further identify the slump inducing activities or factors. (The preference here being actually using a pen and paper as a oppose to typing it on a computer or your phone). Some ways that I love to journal: Brain dump (which is really just writing EVERY THOUGHT in your head on paper), create a list of things I want to do/a list of things I want to accomplish, things you are thankful for in spite of being in a slump, write all the ideas you have or even a dear diary on the last couple of days/weeks/months.

Fix your environment: As mentioned above – the environment you are in can really have an effect on our feelings. So tidying up, organizing and clearing space is the first way to boost your mood and will also give you a sense of control. (Which is important when you feel like everything is spiralling). For me a deep clean up and organizing of my desk helps to make me to feel less out of sorts. But if you are short on time, may be consider setting a timer and picking up your room or a particular room in your house. And where possible, I would even extend this to tiding your digital spaces. For me that looks like cleaning up my following list on socials, archiving boards on Pinterest or organizing and deleting pictures on my phone.
Sort your task list: Hopefully, with #1, you have a list of things you want to do (but if not thats in place… you should definitely start there). The important part is to prioritize that list: It’s either “must do now, should do soon, schedule for later” or my personal favourite “things I can do” vs “things I can’t”. Then take the highest priority items (such as: what must be done now or things I can do) and decide what can be done in a short time frame, preferably a 5-15 min time block. Then get it done! The whole point is to take action on the list in a meaningful way. To illustrate this with an example, say you want to practice writing more, a 5 min time blocked activity to take action on this is write a list of milestones you want to work towards (e.g. create content online, start blogging or do restaurant reviews).
Create an updated routine: You must have heard the saying “a goal without a plan is just a wish” by Antoine de Saint-Exupery! I mean I love wishing, but I also love the dopamine effect of getting stuff done! It could be small wins or big calendar switches in your routine. So continuing with the goal of “writing more content online”. That’s a great start, but adding a little more thought behind it can really move it from a wish to an actionable plan. Something I’ve started doing is being ruthless with my calendar. I am getting to the point where if something isn’t in my calendar – it’s not getting done!! (Well within reason, I’m not a robot). But here is an easy to follow example on how to use this process:
So think of 3-5 activities that you can schedule into your calendar this week or month that can help you achieve it. So with the goal of writing content online you could plan in your calendar: open a substack or medium account, create a back list of content ideas for the month, publish an article once a week. Then you would add time blocks in your calendar to help you stay on track.

Monday could include a 45 min time block to open an account and set up your profile.
Tuesday you could spend 1 hour writing
Wednesday you could block some time to finish writing and then edit
Thursday you could create imagery (or use some Pinterest) to add visuals to your written content
Friday you could publish!
Saturday you could create a backlog of 3-4 more posts
Sunday you could plan your week again

And there you have it! 4 actionable steps to help you get out of a slump! Hoping this resonates! Do you have any tried and true ways to get out of a slump! I would love to hear it :)

My fav quote from “What I talk about when I talk about running”

Posted on November 30, 2025 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I recently read “What I talk about when I talk about running” by Haruki Murakami. If you are runner, I’m sure you’ve stumbled upon this as a book to add to your TBR. I found it beautiful! Haruki Murakami’s stoic sharing of running as an act of meditation, resiliency and goal setting completely resonated with me. And because he took those themes and applied them to being an artist (him being a writer) was the icing on the cake for me.

The book is a very easy read and can be easily finished in a day. For me, books really come alive when they have ah-ha moments – really good quotable parts of the text that make me stop and write down what I read. Here are a few of those moments (and moments of me running as well!)

Commute & Read (Library Books as much as possible)

The most important thing we learn at school is the fact that the most important things can’t be learned at school.

I’m the kind of person who likes to be by himself. To put a finer point on it, I’m the type of person who doesn’t find it painful to be alone. I find spending an hour or two every day running alone, not speaking to anyone, as well as four or five hours alone at my desk, to be neither difficult nor boring. I’ve had this tendency ever since I was young, when, given a choice, I much preferred reading books on my own or concentrating on listening to music over being with someone else. I could always think of things to do by myself.

Say you’re running and you think, ‘Man, this hurts, I can’t take it anymore. The ‘hurt’ part is an unavoidable reality, but whether or not you can stand anymore is up to the runner himself.

People sometimes sneer at those who run every day, claiming they’ll go to any length to live longer. But I don’t think that’s the reason most people run. Most runners run not because they want to live longer, but because they want to live life to the fullest. If you’re going to while away the years, it’s far better to live them with clear goals and fully alive than in a fog, and I believe running helps you do that. Exerting yourself to the fullest within your individual limits: that’s the essence of running, and a metaphor for life.

Sometimes taking time is actually a shortcut.

Being active every day makes it easier to hear that inner voice.

I just run. I run in void. Or maybe I should put it the other way: I run in order to acquire a void

43 lessons for my 43rd birthday

Posted on November 10, 2025 by Bhanu Misra Marya

A few weeks ago I celebrated my birthday and realized that it’s been a while since I’ve done a birthday post! (ok almost 10 years ago)

So in celebration of my 43rd birthday, here are 43 lessons that have provided me with guidance, disciplined my days and provided motivation when I needed it most <3

Energy is everything
Everything is multiplied by gratitude
Know that it will turn out better than expected
Your mindset is the gateway to every transformation
People aren’t thinking about you, they are thinking about themselves
You are free to reinvent yourself at anytime
Friendships change. Nurture the ones that feel like growth and remember not everyone grows with you
Stop relying on external validation
Laugh more
Your standards above everything (decide your future and teach others how to treat you)
When you feel lost, ask yourself “what would my most abundant/higher self/happiest self be doing”
Protect your piece (because if it costs you your peace, its too expensive)
When others judge, it’s based on their own lived experiences and biases
Healing is a journey (it isnt pretty and it doesnt mean you won’t be triggerd – because you will be, but it’s worth it every time you act from a place of self awareness and compassion for yourself and those who may trigger you)
Trust your intiution
If you aren’t willing to risk the unusual, you’ll have to settle for the ordinary
Find a spiritual practice that works for you
Don’t expect from others what you can’t do for yourself first
Clean up what you consume (offline, online, people, experiences, drama – becomes who you are)
Stop watching mainstream news
Confidence is actions first, feelings later
Travel to learn more about the world and yourself
Everything in moderation, including moderation
Embody your feminine power
Train your inner dialogue (Mirror self talk is the best way to start your morning, you can still be humble and hype yourself up)
Embarrassment is the ticket to evolution
Let your be mentored by your highest self
Put yourself out there
The life you love will look very different than what you thought
Celebrate your own damn self (buy yourself the flowers, always have chilled champagne in the fridge, give yourself the 5 love langugaes)
You don’t get what you want, you get what you are
People will behave from the level on consiousness they are at
Keeping promises to yourself is the first step in building confidence
Every situation is an opportunity for growth
Ego is loud, confidence is silent
Compliment yourself daily (Dress confidently, the world benefits when you show up as your boldest self)
Upgrade your self worth (You get what you believe you deserve)
You get what you identify with not what you desire (self concept over everything)
If you want better friendships, be a better friend to yourself – the right people will feel like peace, not performance
feelings of shame keep you focused on your identity, accountability keeps your fixed on what you do
take yourself out on solo dates
It’s not about being busy, but doing the work that aligns with YOUR goals
Detach from outcomes, fall in love with the journey instead

The HEALTHIEST muffins I’ve ever made

Posted on September 17, 2025 by Bhanu Misra Marya

When you think of healthy foods, what do you think of?
For me it’s foods that have healthy ingredients, like spinach and no added sugar or added flour.
So when I heard about these spinach muffins, I knew I had to give them a try.

I also love that you can hide the healthy food in a fun food but still not completely disguise it (I mean the muffins are green!)

For balance you can definitely add dark chocolate chips (like I did) or a use wheat flour (I always prefer oat flour in my baking) or white sugar (if that’s your preference).

The real star is the SPINACH – so don’t mess with that!

The muffins turned out kind of like banana bread and you can’t taste the spinach AT ALL!

So happy to have tried baking again (it’s been a hot minute), and sharing more healthy-ish but quick baking recipes I LOVE!

QUICK & EASY breakfast quiche!

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Bhanu Misra Marya

A few years ago my husband and I watched Suits. Truth be told, we watched it more for our personal amusement of identifying Toronto Landmarks. However, this was also the time I learned about Meghan Duchess of Sussex. This was right before she joined the Royal Family but more the creative mind behind The Tig.

I love me a good lifestyle and fashion blog but I only caught a glimpse of The Tig, before it was taken down because Meghan became a Duchess.

But alas I digress. Well not exactly! I recently watched “With Love, Meghan” and she made a quiche. It actually inspired me to do the same. So I did what any other millennial middle working mom – went to tiktok to find an easier version of the hard to make recepies that I know I’ll never make.

Enter this quick and easy crustless quiche! Read below and enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 Large Tortilla
4-5 Eggs
1.25 cups of cottage cheese
Chopped veggies of choice (I have leftover: red pepper, asparagus)
Cilantro
Garlic Pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste
Shredded cheese

Steps:

Preheat oven at 375 degrees
Spray pie pan with olive oil or butter
Shape tortilla into pie pan
Mixing all ingredients except cheese and pour into pan lined tortilla
Top with cheese
Bake for 30-35 min
Let cool, slice and enjoy!

How you dress is a reflection of your personal reality

Posted on March 22, 2025 by Bhanu Misra Marya

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always felt a personal conviction to leave my house “dressed up”. I would always have my make up done, my accessories on point and ready to take an outfit shot #OnceAFashionBloggerAlwaysAFashionBlogger.

But along came motherhood, a pandemic, all sorts of geo-political situations and the desire to feel put together was cast aside. I lost “my why” or at least felt it was drowned out by all the noise around me.

However a few years ago, I remember leaving the house with a baby tow and in a very unflattering outfit (think: saggy sweatpants and uggs) feeling extremely embarrassed at the thought of running into anyone, that I vowed to never do that to myself again. It wasn’t the “running into” someone that bothered me, it was “I don’t care about myself” mentality that made me realize that in fact I do care about myself (a lot!).

How you dress is a reflection of you personality. And your personality is just your personal reality. Dr Joe Dispenza’s theorizes that our thoughts, feelings and actions (including how we dress, present ourselves etc) shape our personal reality. If the action of dressing your best forms your personal reality – a strong connection could be made for dressing in a way that represents your best and highest self – whether that be aligning your personal reality to that promotion, business owner, professional athlete or just a hot mom ;)

In all honestly, it’s been a journey to find my personal style again, but it’s fun to shop my closet, save outfit ideas on Pinterest or invest in some great pieces.

Some days I love what I’m wearing, and I sometimes still leave the house in an outfit that doesn’t hit the mark – but I’m giving myself grace (as one should!)

In an attempt to keep myself motivated, sharing a few reasons why I choose to dress well in hopes that it will inspire others to rethink their own style journey.

Demonstrates confidence: How we dress creates an impact on how we are perceived by others but also how we perceive ourselves. Luckily confidence can be cultivated and is usually starts with self-love and self-care. An easy way to figure to show yourself love is buy wearing things that make you feel confident. But what outfits make you feel confident?
An outfit that fits well and feels good – is a great place to start. Next your follow your intuition as it tell you pretty quickly that an outfit will increase your confidence. You’ll have a pep in your step, you’ll stand taller, you’ll radiate a sparkle and you won’t even need to look in a mirror to confirm – you’ll just feel it
Attracts positive attention: Call it what you will: “first impression”, “pretty privilege” or “divine feminine” – dressing in a way that exudes these attributes will get you some stares but it will also give you power. You will also be perceived as more competent which in turn builds trust and credibility. I know some people will say “but we shouldn’t be judge by our appearance” but unfortunately it happens – so why not use it to your advantage. People will be drawn to you, doors will be held open for you, friendly conversations and kind stranger interactions will be had. This is all to say is that you’ll be surrounded by positivity. And in today’s world – sprinkling more positivity into our day is a MUST!
Encourages creative self expression: I love to be artistic – and being creative with outfits is a form of self expression just as making a painting, junk journaling or photography would be. We all have a unique identity and show casing it in how we dress allows us as individuals to express that uniqueness and experiment with our creativity.