How To Create A Mindful Morning Routine
Starting your day with a positive mindset and a mindful activity is crucial! Early morning self-care rituals can significantly alleviate anxiety and depression, enhancing overall mental well-being. Incorporating your favorite coffee, cozy slippers, or quiet music into your morning can foster a sense of presence and groundedness. It’s important to personalize your routine; there is no right or wrong! Experiment to discover what energizes and aligns with your spirit, and it doesn’t have to look the same every day!
1. Start The Night Before
Starting your mindful morning the night before helps because it allows you to wake up in a calm, organized environment, reducing morning stress and decision fatigue. Preparing the night before—such as choosing your outfit, planning your breakfast, or setting a to-do list—can enhance your morning routine’s effectiveness. This proactive approach also ensures a better night’s sleep, as it minimizes anxiety about the upcoming day, allowing you to wake up refreshed and ready to engage in your mindful activities with a positive mindset.
2. Avoid Technology
What do we see when we reach for our phones first thing in the morning? A list of notifications. Emails and calendar reminders. Engaging with technology can quickly shift your focus from internal awareness to external demands, undermining the benefits of a calm, centered start. So what to do if you aren’t on your phones? Instead, consider starting with a quick meditation or deep breathing exercises to center your thoughts. Journaling can help you set intentions and reflect on gratitude. Gentle yoga or a quiet walk in nature can connect your body and mind. Reading a few pages of an inspiring book can also uplift and prepare you for the day ahead.
3. Make Gratitude Your First Thought
Gratitude is one of the most impactful habits, especially when done first thing in the morning. It can positively influence our day and help us to move through the world with love and kindness toward others. You can also keep a gratitude journal on your nightstand. Write down something you are thankful for before going to sleep, and then look at it first thing in the morning. You can also write letters of gratitude and connection to the people you care about. This has a guaranteed success rate of 1000%. It is impossible to not feel a spark of joy and love when you write down what you are grateful for.
4. Create Small Rituals
Embrace simple, joyful rituals to enrich your mornings. Light a candle while your coffee brews, or awaken your senses with a refreshing spray. You could also have your favorite, most softest pajama pants and slippers that will help you feel warm and cozy even on cold winter days!
Choosing Yourself After Trauma
There’s a country song called Remember When by Alan Jackson that recently stopped me in my tracks. It’s tender and nostalgic—a look back on a long, loving marriage, a life built together, weathered and wise.
But when I heard it, I didn’t feel comfort.
I felt a deep sadness.
Because I realized—I’ve never had that.
What I’ve had instead is pain, betrayal, control, abandonment. I’ve been the daughter who was never enough. The wife who was taken for granted, used, or manipulated. The mother trying her best to hold it all together with broken tools and an open heart.
I’m 44 now. My kids are grown or almost grown—27, 27, and 17. And I carry this ache that maybe I failed them. That maybe I failed myself.
But something in me has shifted.
Not because someone saved me.
But because I started choosing myself after trauma.
And so I wrote this. Not as a love song between two people—but as a soul song for any woman who has ever been made to feel like she was the problem. For anyone who has lived through narcissistic abuse, emotional abandonment, or toxic love… and is still here.
If You’re on Your Own Healing Journey
This post is for the woman who is starting over—after emotional abuse, after divorce, after years of putting everyone else first. Remember, choosing yourself after trauma isn’t selfish
If you’ve ever wondered:
Is it too late to find peace?
How do I stop feeling like I failed my kids?
How can I reclaim my voice and worth after toxic love?
You’re not alone. And it’s not too late.
This is the beginning of your real story.
Remember When (I Chose Me)
A healing anthem for the woman who’s still standing
Remember when
I thought love meant staying quiet
Swallowed dreams to keep the peace
Played small so they’d stay near
I lost myself to keep them whole
And cried in silence, year by year
Remember when
I smiled through the damage
Wore shame like second skin
Thought it was my fault again
I gave and gave and gave some more
Still they left, or took, or broke me in
But then one day
The ache turned into anger
And anger into flame
I looked into the mirror
And whispered my own name
I saw the girl who dreamed of more
And realized—I wasn’t to blame
Remember when
I chose to stop pretending
I burned the script they handed me
And wrote my own instead
I held my heart with both my hands
And grieved the past I never had
Remember when
I loved my children fiercely
Not with a perfect storybook
But with truth, and grit, and grace
I showed them what redemption looks like
In a woman finding her place
Remember when
I stopped needing their permission
And turned the pain into a path
I stood up tall, became my own
And left no love for last
And maybe I won’t dance slow at dusk
With a man who held me through
But I will dance with peace inside
Because I held myself back too
Remember when…
I finally came home to me
Final Reflection
If this spoke to your heart, there are a few ways to keep exploring this journey with me:
🎙️ Listen to the Podcast
I share real stories of women over 40 who are rewriting the rules and reclaiming their truth.
→ Search “Unwritten” on your favorite podcast app or listen here: Unwritten
📷 Book a Portrait Session
Let’s capture this new season of your life—the one where you feel seen, powerful, and free to just be you.
→ Contact Me Today!
📖 Download “The Permission Slip” Workbook
If you’re ready to stop seeking validation and start trusting your own voice, this free workbook will help you release old guilt and reconnect with your self-worth.
→ Click Here To Get It Delivered To Your Inbox
You are not unlovable.
You were just waiting to be seen by the right person.
Start with you.
Healing Your Past Self Begins with Compassion, Not Criticism
There comes a time in every woman’s life when she realizes she’s still carrying pieces of her past—old wounds, unmet needs, and unanswered questions. This isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s an invitation. This soulful guide to healing your past self is here to help you gently release what no longer serves you, reclaim the worth that was always yours, and begin writing a new chapter rooted in self-trust, wholeness, and truth. Inside, you’ll find reflection, emotional closure, and powerful journal prompts to guide your transformation.
How to Heal the Woman You Were and Reclaim Who You’re Becoming
There’s a version of me that still lives in the quiet spaces of my heart.
The one who tried so hard to be good, to be loved, to belong.
She was the daughter, the wife, the woman who poured out so much love—only to feel unseen, unreceived, and unworthy.
I met her in a ritual recently—not with candles or sage, but with presence. I asked her:
“What do you need from me so you can finally be free?”
Her answer broke my heart open:
“I just wanted to know why they couldn’t see how much I loved them.”
She wasn’t angry. She was grieving.
Grieving the blindness of others. The way love bounced off closed hearts. The way her belonging was never guaranteed.
So I told her the truth:
“It wasn’t you.
They couldn’t receive you because they didn’t know how to receive themselves.
You are not unlovable.
You are seen now.
And you are free.”
What She Needed Wasn’t Fixing—It Was Validation
We all have a version of ourselves stuck in time, still waiting for closure from people who could never give it. Now is the time to move to healing your past self.
But here’s the truth: closure doesn’t come from them. It comes from us.
We are the ones who can return, hold her hand, and tell her the words she’s waited years to hear.
Journal Prompts for Releasing the Past
What part of me is still waiting to be seen or validated?
What did I try to prove to people who never truly saw me?
If I could speak to the version of me who felt invisible, what would I say?
What is she free to do, feel, or become now?
🕯️ A Releasing Affirmation
“I am no longer responsible for their blindness.
I am seen. I am worthy. I am free to love and be loved in return.”
Final Reflection
There is nothing wrong with being someone who loves deeply.
The mistake wasn’t in how much love you gave.
The pain came from offering it to those who couldn’t hold it.
But now, you’re not offering love to prove your worth.
Now its time to healing your past self.
You’re offering love from wholeness.
And that changes everything.
If this spoke to your heart, there are a few ways to keep exploring this journey with me:
🎙️ Listen to the Podcast
I share real stories of women over 40 who are rewriting the rules and reclaiming their truth.
→ Search “Unwritten” on your favorite podcast app or listen here: Unwritten
📷 Book a Portrait Session
Let’s capture this new season of your life—the one where you feel seen, powerful, and free to just be you.
→ Contact Me Today!
📖 Download “The Permission Slip” Workbook
If you’re ready to stop seeking validation and start trusting your own voice, this free workbook will help you release old guilt and reconnect with your self-worth.
→ Click Here To Get It Delivered To Your Inbox
You are not unlovable.
You were just waiting to be seen by the right person.
Start with you.
Personal Branding Photography in Baraboo
When Tanya Trapp walked into the studio, she had just reached a major milestone: she earned her broker’s license. 🎉
That moment—the confidence, the growth, the next-level energy—deserved to be documented.
Tanya is a powerhouse in the Baraboo real estate world. She’s smart, hardworking, and full of vision for what’s next in her business. And like so many women stepping into something bigger, she knew it was time for photos that reflected who she is now.
That’s exactly what personal branding photography in Baraboo is about—capturing who you’re becoming, not just who you’ve been.
Why Personal Branding Photography Is So Powerful
Whether you’re getting a promotion, launching a new business, or simply showing up more fully in your brand—how you present yourself matters. And your photos? They’re often the first impression.
Your headshot isn’t just a profile picture. It’s a story. A statement. A visual handshake.
With Tanya, we focused on creating images that felt modern, clean, confident, and real—photos she could use across her website, social media, marketing materials, and LinkedIn as she steps into this new chapter as a licensed broker.
If you’re searching for studio photography in Baraboo that helps you feel seen and celebrated, this is what I do.
Studio Photography That Feels Like You
I specialize in working with women—especially women over 40—who are reinventing themselves, stepping into leadership, or finally claiming space in a new way. A personal branding session with me isn’t just about getting “a nice headshot.” It’s about:
Confidence – Seeing yourself the way others already do
Clarity – Showing up with visuals that match your message
Connection – Creating trust with your audience before you ever say a word
Tanya’s session was filled with joy, clarity, and that quiet fire that happens when someone knows they’re stepping into their purpose.
Why Personal Branding Photography Is So Powerful
Whether you’re getting a promotion, launching a new business, or simply showing up more fully in your brand—how you present yourself matters. And your photos? They’re often the first impression.
Your headshot isn’t just a profile picture. It’s a story. A statement. A visual handshake.
With Tanya, we focused on creating images that felt modern, clean, confident, and real—photos she could use across her website, social media, marketing materials, and LinkedIn as she steps into this new chapter as a licensed broker.
Is It Time for Your Next Chapter to Be Seen?
If you’re growing, pivoting, or stepping into a new season of your career or business, personal branding photography in Baraboo might be the missing piece.
Whether you need a clean, professional headshot or a full collection of branding images for your website, I’d love to help you create portraits that reflect who you are now—and where you’re headed.
✨ Let’s create something meaningful together.
Contact Me to book your session.
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