Morning Reset at Home: Coffee, Coughs, and Choosing to Show Up
Good morning everyone,
It’s me again.
I’m working from home today and taking a slow morning—something I’ve been needing. I already had my first cup of coffee (Trader Joe’s, of course), and I reheated some Filipino leftovers for breakfast. I made giniling, and honestly, nothing beats a Filipino breakfast. Rice, something savory, a little bit of sweetness—it just feels comforting and grounding in a way I can’t really explain.
I started work a bit early today, even though I’m still dealing with this lingering cough. It’s been hanging on since I got sick—probably post-viral, but sometimes I wonder if anxiety plays a role too. Maybe it’s both. Either way, it’s still here, and I’m learning to just move with it instead of fighting it.
Right now, I’m on a quick break before getting back to work, and I wanted to take a moment to reset. I’ll be here until June 5th—so about two to three more weeks—and I’ve been thinking about taking a short trip to Hawaii, maybe the Big Island. I’ve only been once, and while I have good memories there, I feel like I want to create new ones. Better ones. Ones that feel more aligned with who I am now.
Also… I’m definitely getting paler. It’s been a while since I’ve been in the islands.
This morning, I decided to do a quick yoga session—nothing too intense. Just something to get my body moving, to stretch, to breathe. I’ve been getting closer to monetizing my second YouTube channel (about 400–500 hours away), and it feels exciting to see that progress. One channel will stay focused on my reflections, mental health, and authentic living. The other will be more about yoga, pilates, and physical wellness—still connected to mental health, but expressed through movement.
I’m not an expert. I don’t pretend to be. I’m just sharing what works for me.
I think one of the things that stopped me from doing yoga before was how technical it seemed. The poses, the flexibility, the “perfect form”—it felt intimidating. And I’m not naturally flexible. I’m still not. But I’ve learned that it doesn’t have to be perfect. You just have to start.
Even if it’s messy. Even if it’s simple. Even if it’s just showing up.
So today, I showed up in house clothes. No fancy yoga outfit—those can wait. I remember looking at Alo Yoga sets and realizing a single outfit could cost around $150. Maybe one day. But for now, this is enough.
I sat on the floor, grounded myself, and started with breathing.
Slow inhales. Slow exhales.
I rolled my neck, feeling the stiffness and the small cracks that come with waking up the body. Reached my arms up toward the ceiling, stretching my spine, leaning side to side. Then I moved into simple stretches—reaching for my toes, noticing how I’ve improved. A few months ago, I couldn’t even get close without bending my knees. Now, I can almost reach them.
Progress.
Small, quiet progress.
I moved through the flow slowly—leaning forward, leaning back, twisting, stretching both legs. Some sides were easier than others. My left side still struggles more. But I kept going.
I lifted into tabletop a few times—arms and legs working together, holding myself up, even if just for a few seconds. Then I laid back down, letting my body rest against the floor, reminding myself that rest is also part of the process.
From there, I did some core work—lifting my hips, engaging my abdomen, moving side to side. It wasn’t perfect. It was shaky. But I did it anyway.
And that’s kind of the point.
I kept reminding myself:
Even if it’s not perfect, you’re still doing it.
Even if it’s hard, you’re still showing up.
Those small wins matter.
I finished by slowing everything down again—deep breaths, eyes soft, body grounded. Letting the noise in my head settle, even just a little. The anxiety, the overthinking, the constant questioning—it’s still there. But in these moments, it gets quieter.
And in that quiet, I can hear myself again.
This is how I’m choosing to show up—for myself, for my future self, for my inner child. Not in big, dramatic ways. Just like this. Small moments. Intentional breaths. Gentle movement.
It’s been raining the past couple of hours, and it looks like it might stay gloomy for the next few days. But I’m trying not to let that affect how I feel. I can’t control the weather, but I can control how I move through my day.
So I’ll keep stretching.
Keep breathing.
Keep showing up.
Even like this.
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