@SLEEPYYOU

What’s your favourite color?
Purple has always been my favourite color but right now brown is my favourite.

What’s your favourite ‘go-to’ recipe?
My favourite ‘go-to’ recipe is probably Mangu which is a traditional Dominican plantain dish. 

What self-care habits do you intertwine into your daily routine?
I intertwine as many self-care habits into my daily routine. This year was the first year I took my self-care seriously because I realized how important it is to show myself as much love and appreciation as possible. When I wake up I shower myself with affirmations such as, “Today, it is safe to be me.”, “Today I love myself.”, “Today I create miracles.”, “Today I am aligned with my Highest Self and my Highest Good.” After that, I like stretching for 5-10 minutes and giving a positive intention to the way I move my body. I also like dancing in the mirror naked to my favourite songs which can feel kind of silly and awkward at first lol but it helps me become more confident in my body.

What's your favourite book, and what book had the most significant impact on you, and why?
When I was younger, The Little Prince, was my favourite book because it took place in an imaginary world and many of the events that took place were things that couldn’t realistically happen in this 3D world. As I got older, I understood the book’s message was about looking further than what’s shown on the surface and realising love is the only real thing that exists. Right now, however, All About Love, by Bell Hooks is a book I reflect on often. It discusses how our society has led us to stray away from love and its powers but also helps us understand what love truly is especially in a world where gaining materialistic wealth and forgetting about one’s true purpose is greatly praised.

Who can you talk to when you need to get something off your chest?
My best friend Karyn is someone who I can go to, to talk about absolutely anything with no judgement. For the past 3 years though, I’ve been constantly communicating with my ancestors and going to them for advice and guidance. It’s a relationship that has always been there since the day I was born (and probably even before that) but I’m grateful I took that initiative to strengthen our connection because it is a beautiful one. The veneration of my ancestors is extremely important to me as a Latinx womxn. 

Where’s your safe place?
My safe place is where my friends and family are, but I also tend to create a safe space for me everywhere I go. Whenever I call on my Higher Self, wherever I may be, I know I am safe. 

Have you ever dealt with anxiety? If so, what triggers it, and how do you calm your mind?
I’ve dealt with anxiety my entire life. It’s something I’m constantly working on and figuring out what causes my body to become anxious. A lot of times my body senses an event in the near future that will make me anxious and immediately causes me to have anxiety in the present moment. To calm my mind I tell myself repetitively that I am safe, that it is safe to be me, that I am not at war with the world or myself. I also do breathing exercises to calm myself down. 

Have you or someone you love ever been in a dark place? If so, what were the steps taken to get out?
I’ve been in a dark place and it felt as if I was a puppet and someone was controlling my strings. This year, while being in solitude, I regained my faith back. I noticed that for so many years I did not have faith in myself and I wasn’t trusting my journey, out of fear. I know difficult times come and go but now I know how to properly handle those times because I am more emotionally intelligent and I have faith in my purpose. 

Do you think social media affects your mental health or has any other negative impacts on you? If so, how do you best deal with it?
Social media has affected my mental health to a certain extent in regards to how I perceive myself sometimes. Instagram can make anyone feel as if they’re not worthy or beautiful enough or as if they’re not being productive enough. We live in a society that sees productivity as gaining success and we disregard our own mental health and self-love because we’re so caught up in staying “busy”. It’s important to take some time to detach, rest and reflect and be grateful for the things you have in this current moment, that’s how I’ve dealt with the negative impacts of social media. 

What’s the biggest change you can identify within yourself in the past year?
The biggest change within myself has definitely been my ability to listen to my intuition. When I started listening to my intuition and acting off of intuition that was me telling myself, “I trust you.” We have all the answers within ourselves, it’s time to not be afraid of what we can accomplish when we put faith and power in ourselves. 

What changes do you want to see within yourself in the coming year? 
I just want to keep growing. I don’t want to repress my growth. I don’t want fear to exist in my world. 

What’s one of the hardest things you’ve had to go through in life? How did you get through it?
One of the hardest things I’ve had to go through life has been not speaking up for myself or the people I love. Letting go of fear and trusting my intuition and my Higher Self has led me to becoming a more confident and powerful womxn.

What advice would you give to your 16-year-old self?
Love yourself. Put yourself first. Listen to your intuition. 

What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learnt?
The most valuable lesson I’ve learned has been to give myself infinite amounts of love and appreciation.

If you could change one thing within society, what would that be?
I would change the fear people have with love.