Rooted & Rising Wellness
A nature-inspired wellness podcast that explores authentic healing journeys through intimate conversations with real people making real changes. Hosted by Kaitlyn from Into The Woods Wellness, each episode dives deep into the root causes of health challenges and celebrates the wild, often unexpected paths to vitality.
Rooted & Rising Wellness
Beyond Resolutions: How to Start Your Year Grounded
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What if this year, you skipped the resolution and set down roots instead?
In this episode, Kaitlyn (KK) and Jenny challenge the "new year, new you" mentality and offer a different approach—one rooted in reconnection rather than restriction. We explore why approximately 80% of resolutions fail, what sustainable change actually looks like, and how to start your year grounded instead of guilt-driven.
We're unpacking the science behind why willpower alone doesn't work, how your nervous system plays a role in lasting habit change, and why community support dramatically increases your chances of success.
Plus, we're sharing what's happening at Into the Woods this January—including our Alumni Detox Initiative, upcoming podcast episodes, and how our Wheel of Wellness memberships can help you stay rooted all year long.
In this episode, we explore:
- Why most New Year's resolutions fail—and why that's actually okay
- How your nervous system impacts willpower and sustainable change
- Practical tips for staying connected to your intentions and building habits
For more wellness pathway support:
🌲 Visit www.intothewoodsjourney.com
📞 Call 920-904-8128
📍 1424 Lynn Ave, Fond du Lac, WI
✉️ info@intothewoodsjourney.com
Follow us on social media @intothewoodswellnessfdl for daily inspiration, wellness tips, and community stories.
What if this year you skipped the resolution and set down roots instead? In this episode, we challenge the new year, new you mentality and share a different approach, one rooted in reconnection to mind, body, and soul. We explore why most resolutions fail, what sustainable change actually looks like, and how to start your year grounded instead of guilt-driven. No shame, no pressure, just a gentler way forward. Welcome to Rooted in Rising, a podcast by Into the Woods Wellness. I'm Caitlin Keneally, coming to you from our nature-inspired sanctuary in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Grab your tea, get comfortable, and let's dive into real talk that empowers your healing journey.
SPEAKER_01:Episode six. Yeah, 2025 flew by.
SPEAKER_03:Yes. And from an astrological perspective, it was the year of the snake. So there was a lot of shedding. It was a nine year. And now we're heading into a horse year, and it's a one. So only an upward trend from here.
SPEAKER_01:What is the year of the horse?
SPEAKER_03:It's like renewal and outing forward since you've released all of the things. So it's like a fresh start. Okay. Just shed a bunch of stuff.
SPEAKER_01:Perfect. Fantastic. This episode we want to talk about starting your new year rooted.
SPEAKER_03:Yes. And I love setting intentions. I know people say resolutions. We're gonna mix and match it today, but on one one, typically what we do is we have a yoga session and then we make intention boards after. I love setting my tone for that. So I make a digital one and then physically make one too. And again, just that visualization piece and setting those intentions for the year.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. I have ebbed and flowed a bit on resolutions and intentions. And I think at one point I had a word for my year. That's exactly why we want to have an episode that's looking at what would support you exactly in your new year, whatever those goals, resolutions, hopes, and dreams might be. Yeah. And how can you gallop forward with knowing, with support, with progress, right? Yeah. Taking those baby steps.
SPEAKER_03:On one level, I think it's a good thing. People are like, oh, I want to focus on my health at the beginning of the year. Perfect. We've got so many opportunities for people to do that and to be a part of that. But I think people also then, when they don't fulfill what they set out with that intention or that resolution, then feel guilt or shame or whatever that looks like. Wherever you're at with it, that's okay too. But if you are motivated, I think we've got some cool things that could help.
SPEAKER_01:There is so much pressure to do it, to be perfect, to have that social presence of progress and perfection. If you've been listening to the podcast in the previous episodes, that's not what we're about here at all messy AF for sure. So no shame, no pressure. It doesn't have to be new year, new you. It can really just be about reconnection to self, starting where you're at and finding that next step, finding the support system, whatever feels aligned for you. I love it. All right, before we jump in, because there's a whole bunch I know we can explore together. Sure. Let's do this or that New Year Wellness Edition.
SPEAKER_03:Okay, here we go.
SPEAKER_01:So did you stay up until midnight or were you asleep by the eight?
SPEAKER_03:So last year, my first book was on the New York Times billboard. So I was watching to see if I could see it. So I did open my eyes here and there, but we ate dinner early. We went out for that, and I had my jammies on and I fell asleep. What about you?
SPEAKER_01:So every year is a little different for me. I think my preference would be, especially as I'm getting older, just cozy in PJs, snacks at home in bed by 10:30, 11 o'clock. So I don't need to see the ball drop. Been there, done that. Yeah. The next one is dress up fancy or wear your comfiest pajamas. I would say PJs for sure.
SPEAKER_03:Yep. That's my era right now. Jammy time. Those cuddle duds, my mom gets us cuddle duds every Christmas. They do not look very good, but man, they're comfy.
SPEAKER_01:That's all that matters. Absolutely. Especially if you're at home. Who are you trying to impress?
SPEAKER_03:Exactly.
SPEAKER_01:There you go.
SPEAKER_03:My cat. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Love it. Uh, one big goal or many small intentions. Obviously, you shared what you shared at the beginning. So small intention. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:I like to set myself up for success, but again, I do a lot of visualizations. And so I'm normally not going out the night before because I'm doing yoga the next morning. I'm creating those um intention boards with the people that are around. And I just love setting the tone in that way.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, absolutely. For me, I used to do, like I said, the New Year's resolution thing, and now it's just some small intentions. And I'll I'll share a bit about some of the habit stuff I've been playing with over the last couple of years. So do you tell everyone what your goals are for the year or do you keep them private?
SPEAKER_03:If people asked me, I definitely would. It's not like a total secret. So normally after the intention boards are made, if the group feels comfortable, we share what they are. So I think that that's cool to see where other people are at with theirs too. But it's definitely not a secret, but I'm definitely not like carrying it around. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Spreading it out there. Absolutely. I'm the same. I think it's healthy to have some people in your circle that will share. And I'm uh an open book as well. I will share if people ask me. But yeah, that accountability piece I think is also a good check-in. So sure. Love it. Are you about reflection on the past year or eyes forward only? A little bit of both.
SPEAKER_03:So every morning I do visualizations and I think about how I intend my day to go, but I'm also thinking about what I could have done better yesterday too. So I feel like it's a combination. I just want to be better than I was yesterday. And how can I say this better? Could I have done that conversation better and things? But how do I want today to go? Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:That makes sense. I'm also a mix. I feel like it's super easy to forget the present in it, but I really think the forward movement is probably where I focus more of. I do a little bit of visualization in my dreamy state. Yes. But I do think the reflection on past is also important to just look at what you have learned, how you can have grown. It shows you the progress. Yeah. Yeah, it's totally a mix for me as well.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:I just can't believe I don't know where this year went. Let's jump in to starting our new year grounded. Sure. And if you have resolutions, as KK said at the beginning, that is cool. But let's have a little bit of a check-in. Resolutions are great. We want to support you if you have them, but the reality of it is that most people start January really strong and then they fall off. Research shows approximately 80% of New Year's resolutions fail by mid-February. And there's do you believe there's actually a quitter's day? January 19th is dubbed Quitter's Day. I know that's horrible, isn't it? Let's have some faith in people. Exactly. Okay. Knowing that people struggle. I have set resolutions in the past and set it one day and then five days later. Yeah. So I get it. It is hard. And as we've said in many past episodes, you have to choose your hard. Yeah. And there's ways to make it easy or easier, perhaps, depending on what your goals are, what your intentions are. So what when you're talking to people here at Into the Woods or over the years in your therapy support, what are some of the common goals and intentions people have set?
SPEAKER_03:I think health is always at the top of it. Health could be eating better. Some people emotionally eat. It could be physical. So it could be working out. So that piece, a lot of times it's really I want my symptoms, right? So whether that's anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, those types of things to be reduced. And all very good. But when we really do look at it, a treatment plan is made for 90 days because we know it takes 21 days to create a habit. That's just create one. And then 90 days of consistency to even have that, but then you have to keep going with it. And so I always try to pull in that side of it, the psychology or the research side of it. But that's why I like to say intentions. So is if your intention is your health and it's perfect that we're kicking it off at the beginning of the year, how do we sustain it? Absolutely. How do you stay accountable? So those would be like some of the main things that I talk about with people and especially over the years.
SPEAKER_01:The new year provides just a good reset. Yeah. It feels like a fresh start. So why do you think people fail with some of their setting?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. Well, I think when we look at the stages of change, right? Uh we have that intention, we start to make that. And then it's once we get to maintenance that then we fall off. So I guess if we look at January 19th, we're almost at that three week mark where we're just about to create a habit, but we just don't get there. Does that make sense? Yeah. So again, when we understand that side of it, our intention is there. We get adrenaline, right? It feels good. This is my busiest time when it's a Thanksgiving Christmas. You get through one and so yes, I'm like set up, or I've felt depressed and I have that seasonal depression, and I finally have this motivation. But then did I put the pieces around me to help me be successful? And I think that's really what it boils down to.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Having a support system, yeah. Looking at the self-talk, which what are you saying when maybe you have a day where you don't feel like doing what you said you wanted to do? And I think so many times I've had this where it's an all or nothing. Oh, I miss this, so I might as well just not try. Right. Have you ever set an intention that flopped? Always.
SPEAKER_03:Listen, I succeed a lot, but I fail a lot more. And what happens though is I like to fail fast. So I have gotten to a point through my healing that I am not defined by it, though. So I think that that's the key difference. Yes, I've set a lot of intentions, I've said a lot of things, and I fail, but I move through it because the only way out is through instead of staying stagnated by it. And until you've done the work and can internally and externally see that and just keep picking it up because the quicker you fail, the quicker you learn, the faster you get to those outcomes. But I fail more than I succeed. I fail daily at things, and I just put it into chuck it in the effort bucket. And learn something.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03:So I'm not afraid of it and it doesn't stop me anymore. Um, but for a lot of people, if they're at a different stage of the journey and it can be very stalled by a failure of it.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, absolutely. What about you? Oh, first of all, I love your mindset around it. I think there's a lot we can learn from that. I've had resolutions and intentions that have completely flopped where it's I did it for a week or maybe a month. For me, a lot of it is consistent movement, right? Getting up, moving my body, sometimes eating well, sometimes relationships, and I think it's just we get we have our patterns, right? Yeah. And that can just learning more about ourselves and understanding why we do what we do is such a critical piece to it. I've learned a lot about myself, and I think what I've shifted over the years is it's more of a growth mindset, right? It doesn't define me. Every day is a new day, right? Yes, it's a new year right now, but every day is a new day to choose something different. So I feel like that's helped me have compassion for myself, but also just to stick with it, even on the days that I don't feel like it, or just to have compassion to say, today it's just not gonna happen. So that's fair. Great. Because we want to come at New Year's resolutions, New Year's intentions with a different mindset around compassion, around growth, around being rooted, reconnection versus external pressure to be better, do better, all of the things. You're gonna hear a lot from Into the Woods on social and website, and obviously the podcast about being rooted. When we're saying rooted, what does that mean to you?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, so to me, again, it's going back to that rooted in self. And right now, I again, if we look at things as seasons, it's winter right now. What does that season mean to you? And from a mental health perspective, people get the winter blues, right? But to me, I really think being rooted is back to compassion, empathy, and being like, okay, ever even the trees are taking a break right now, the leaves are falling, things are resting. So to me, being rooted right now is that resting time. And if nature can do it, so can we. And so that's what being rooted in self is really what I would say is my definition about you.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I do a lot around seasons now more than ever as well. So I like to think about winter as that time for rest and grounding down into who I am, like we said, versus what others say or think you should do or external all the marketing and advertising and things like that. So I think grounding down into who I am, what brings me joy, what aligns with my dreams. Um and then seasonally, like you said, winter hibernating a bit, yeah, allowing myself to rest. And then in spring, reflecting on what I want to maybe double down on, put fertilizer on, what I want to see blossom and bud and grow. So yeah, I would say that rooted is it feels more sustainable, it feels more aligned.
SPEAKER_03:Um and I think we can ask the people that are listening to come up with their own definition of it. And what does that look like? And what a cool intention for the new year is to root yourself in what feels good. Visualize what feels good this next year and in small doses. Take it month by month, week by week. What am I gonna try here? Have I connected, like you and I said, that community, that networks? Who's your accountability buddy with that? I'm super excited for this next year. I'm finally birthing my book in into life. That that was three years of writing, and it's been about a year of production and rewrites and all of this stuff for it. I've never had a child because if I had it in there for four years, I think that's a big no. But that's the only analogy that I can have of birthing this. And so my intention for this year is to root down into that for other people about telling their stories and how can we do that? So I'm excited. And can you find something to be excited for? Yeah. What is that route? It doesn't have to be all the roots, but like one kind of at a time.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. I love that just paying attention to what ignites that spark in you.
SPEAKER_03:I had a session this week. Someone is thinking about a career change. If you start to heal, you're probably gonna start thinking about a career change. And not in a negative way, but even if it's like a side hustle type thing. Yeah. Passion, mission, and purpose. How do we find that? We do that by finding joy. That spark, which that's what sparked that idea to tell you this.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:And so I am, I'm not even gonna say that I'm fortunate, but like it feels because I love what I do. I am very passionate about it. I think you can hear it in my voice. You see it with the people that I work with, and to watch them have outcomes of just to fulfill whatever that is that they need, it truly fills me up. And this book, I think, is gonna hit that mark too in a way deeper, more rooted way. So even for this next year, uh starting in your head, passion, mission, and purpose. What fuels you? And it could be something simple. And so to me, that would be your best bet to set you up for this year.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. Yeah, that's great. I love the idea of inviting the listeners to reflect on what rooted is to them as they're maybe coming up with an intention or uh applying a different grounded or rooted mindset to a resolution that they have set.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, and it can be a personal one, whether you're a parent, right? I want to be more present. My goal is to be at my kids every single thing. Awesome. Make that happen. But it also can be professional. You can have a professional goal, it can be a relationship type thing to start with one at least.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. I think that's another reason why people fail, right? They pile on so many things, and then it just gets to be overwhelming. We don't know where to focus because there's so many. So consider starting small, whatever that looks like to you, and building from there.
SPEAKER_03:When I work with my clients and in clinical supervision, it was funny this morning. They're like, what does Caitlin say? Let's go slow to go fast. Right. And you could do one intention a month, you could do one every quarter, however, you operate. I love operating in quarters. I don't know, maybe it's the business side, but I'm like, what is this quarter gonna look like? But I'm also very future focused. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:One of the things that I've been doing that I hinted to at the start of the episode, I've seen it on different things online, but last year was the first year I did it where instead of like a bunch of intentions or a bunch of resolutions, I wanted to try something different. So I set one goal, one dream that I wanted to start making some progress on. And then I set out to do six mini adventures, which was aligned with wanting to spend more time with family and friends. I just have a habit of doing the same thing over and over again. I love the idea of going and seeing and doing new things, but then when it comes to actually planning them, I Okay. Shove it off to the sides. This whole idea of six mini adventures, it it doesn't have to mean going and flying somewhere fancy. One of those mini adventures I had done before, but we brought more family in. And we spent a day out at Collar Andre Park and just had a beach day with the extended family and like nieces and nephews and my parents. And it was just really fun. So finding those ways to bring joy, right? And align with what is important to you in your day-to-day.
SPEAKER_03:And being present and grounding and being rooted is more important. It's always been important, but I I just feel with how a fast-paced life is with technology, all of these things, like we are we're bred for connection. And so we're craving that more than I think we realize across generations. So the more you can find that rooted or grounded practice, whatever it is, those small wins, those small joy, joyful moments, the better your overall health is gonna be and not just those first three weeks or that month of January.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. And I think that's why having those six mini adventures, it's like, all right, you're naturally gonna have to like figure out where they fit into the year. And a beach day, I'm not gonna do in February. You could, but I'm I I would not want that.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, and mine were like bigger. I know so I had on my vision board the integrated model. Yeah, Kelly and I started the wellness blend, and then this happened. So I didn't know the intention that like you don't know where it's gonna go, but are you willing to take some of those leaps? And then obviously the book, which was supposed to be already out, but that's not totally it's still happening. It is, yeah, but so clearly the universe had a different plan for it, which is 2026, which is fine. But yeah, so I had like bigger ones, and so that to me always feels good of accomplishing some of those, but not everything on my intention board was crossed off. Yeah, and that's okay.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, absolutely. My big dream for 2025 did not happen either. I have a little side project that I've been playing with, and so more projects, journey. It's something that brings me joke. Okay, then you can do that one. So it's somewhat similar to your book, but not like it's it's a product that I'm playing with. Yeah, I'll tell you about it. Yes, please. Yes. It's something that I've done a little bit of writing, a little bit of exploring with, and I've been nurturing it, but it just it's not ready to fully grow into public consumption yet, if you will.
SPEAKER_03:Think of your intentions as your resolutions of planting seeds. Yeah, and does the tree grow overnight? I don't know. I can't keep anything alive. So I don't know, but I like that analogy of like maybe for 2026, plant seeds and nurture the seeds. And we know that it will take time to grow. Absolutely, and allow for that time to grow. And what are you learning about yourself as you're staring at that seed, cheering it on to grow or different things like that? And we know, I mean, there's been studies of when they've talked to water mainly, and you see this or it changes, absolutely so that nurture nurture piece.
SPEAKER_01:And I think honestly, sometimes we can have these goals and have these dreams and aspirations, and then once we start moving in that direction, realize that's not really what I wanted. Exactly. Yeah, and so it's like okay, if you're hating on that seed, yeah, using that analogy, then all right, rewrite it.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, dig it up, replant it. Apparently, people can do that. I cannot. They have gotten to the point of extinction. Maybe you need a different bigger pot to put it in, newer, fresher soil. There's so many different analogies that we can build up.
SPEAKER_03:Exactly. Yeah, and we'll nurture those things, but when it comes to us, I feel like we are the hardest on ourselves.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, we are. Absolutely, absolutely. So, one of the things that again we've touched on over these last couple episodes is this idea of our nervous system. So, nervous system regulation, how might that play into somebody's intentions and goals?
SPEAKER_03:Nervous system regulation and emotional regulation are the key to healing. And what that truthfully means is the more regulated you are, the better you're gonna be able to show up, the better your interactions with people are going to be. We are not supposed to be in a constant state of fight or flight. And that's typically what we are with the lighting that we have, with the technology when we walk into stores, with the expectations that are put on us. I mean it is at an accelerated pace. So, what I talk about in the book and what I work with people on is my definition of trauma is anything that dysregulates your nervous system, and it happens to us daily, right? We have so many things going on. I gotta get all this stuff in, and then our nervous system is dysregulated. And are we able to regulate ourselves and come down into that place? And so it's truthfully the key. And the more you heal, the more you work on yourself and you're present and you show up, that's the key to healing. Yeah. So your nervous system is clutch.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. 100% needed to Caitlin to your point. We're not gonna be regulated 24-7. Nope. And so the ability to just check in with self, understand where we're at, realize if we're not regulated, and then come back to this place of co-regulation or soothing or whatever it is. That I think just acknowledging that as a huge piece of the puzzle that I don't hear a lot of people talking about when it comes to resolutions or goal setting, you're not going to be able to maybe easily reach those goals or achieve that resolution consistently if you're not regulated.
SPEAKER_03:If you're in a hypervigilant state. Think about this. And we spend the majority of our time in our career. So if you walk into your job and it is a healthy environment, you feel validated, you're an actual team, you're gonna get more things accomplished because you're co-regulating with the people around you. Do you get what I'm saying? But if you walk into your job and they nitpick at you, your shoulders are clenched up, you're afraid to get yelled at by your supervisor, or you're getting micromanaged, you're dysregulated and out of your nervous system all day long.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Then what are you looking for? You're looking for relief. So you might overeat. Your symptoms, whether they're anxiety, depression, if you have any of those, are going to be elevated. And so there's a lot of dissociation that happens. If we're not satisfied within our relationships or the life that we chose or where things are going, we aren't regulated. And so the choices that we make when we're not regulated aren't often the greatest. And so I think of people who struggle with anger. And then you say things that you didn't mean to say, but now you've said them out of anger because you were outside of your nervous system, you're in fight or flight, and then now we hit the low because now we go back, we say we're sorry, and it can start this toxic cycle. So, really, I believe that the key is emotional regulation, but that's going to involve healing. That's gonna require looking at yourself, that requires looking at all aspects of your life and not projecting onto other people. Yes. So it it takes a lot of work.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:And it's possible. Totally, absolutely. But we want people to heal. I think we're afraid to tell people the other side that it does feel great. It's the best thing, and you continue to heal. It's not just a one and done thing. I'm constantly evolving and learning about myself.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's a circle. It's seasons, it's a seasons, it's cycle, but it's it's seasons, it's cycles, it's a spiral. It's not like you're chasing your tail. Exactly. Like every time you come around, you've got a different perspective, more understanding of self, different learnings to apply to it. Yeah. 100%.
SPEAKER_03:So something that you could do. Am I regulated? Am I not regulated? Am I fighting in fight or flight? Or how do I know those things? I just ask you to tap in. What does your body feel like every single day? Even if you can't identify the emotion, what happens? Do you get in my family? We call it that funny feeling in your stomach. Am I anxious when I'm doing this? I think a big warning sign for people is that Sunday scary thing. I'm like, I'm ready for work on Monday. I am excited. I'm thinking about it. Yeah. We're getting the team. It's just been so cool to for everyone to come together and where we're headed. And so I get excited. So that means I'm on the right path and I'm regulated instead of being like, oh, I don't want to go in today. I don't want to see those people. So I think connecting with self and then picking your heart, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to stay? Which is also okay. But if you do stay in that environment or that work environment, then we need to find different coping strategies when you're outside of it. Cause then you might be emotionally eating or your physical health might go away.
SPEAKER_01:I love that idea of having people slow down and check in on their just their body, their nervous system. It's all connected. And I do think maybe an episode just on the nervous system would be helpful because there's so many different ways to come at it, right? You can be activated where maybe you're feeling just this buzz, right? Tension in your shoulder, clench job. I can't move fast enough. That could be a dysregulated state. But then you could also have the flip side where you're actually in shutdown. I've been there where I just I don't want to get out of bed in the mornings. So just slowing down to pay attention to your body, your thoughts, and and yeah.
SPEAKER_03:And back to if something's off, it's off.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:And what is the off? And typically the best thing you're gonna be able to do is check those symptoms. Why do I feel this way? Am I ready to make some changes? Though. No, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01:I I think that fits really well. So paying attention to your nervous system will 100% support any steps forward that you're gonna make with your intentions and goals for this new year. Second, I think somewhat aligned but somewhat different is paying attention to those symptoms. As you've said, are you exhausted? Are you feeling stressed? Are you struggling with maybe different foods like you're eating what you know isn't nourishing your body? Paying attention to the symptoms is important, but I think a huge piece of into the woods is saying, okay, what is the root cause of that? We don't want to put a band-aid on that symptom. Right. What's the root cause that's really at the root, the foundation of why you're exhausted, why you're stressed. Yeah. So I think that's a piece of it that's really important.
SPEAKER_03:Yes. And I would caveat to that is but wherever you start is okay. True. Whatever. Entry point to the root, because eventually we'll figure it out. Kind of like with EMDR, right? We get to the root, we pick the memory, but we don't always start with one that has the most impact. Sure. But all are connected.
SPEAKER_01:It's all.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. So not dictating entry point and allowing the people around you. Again, you're gonna go to the doctor, and if you break your arm, they're gonna tell you you need to do this and you do this, and you don't think twice. Okay. We're gonna tell you, hey, maybe you want to start with mental health. Maybe it's your nutrition, maybe it's this, and we might fight that tooth and nail. You know what I mean? But I still think that there's a very big stigma around it, but I definitely feel like people are like, you know what? They see the crumbling system around us of healthcare, and they're like, I do want the holistic approach because this is the natural approach and this is how it always should have been.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Well, and I think in what you're saying with that caveat, which is fantastic, our resolutions might be focused on a playoff of one for me that's been in the past. Resolution on getting active, keeping myself moving, exercising on a regular basis. If we put that the symptoms and then go to root cause on that, it really does come down to that whole person perspective. So just because you're starting at one place, which is great, I think when we look at that whole person wellness mindset or approach, it can really help the success of that initial goal. Yeah. Again, when you layer in mental health support alongside nutrition, yeah, all of that's just gonna make you feel better when it comes to moving your body. So it is 100% aligned. Love it. Okay, another piece that I want to highlight that can support intentions and I've heard a lot of about it, is habit stacking. So one of the things that I want to share that I played with last year, and I'm gonna play with it again this year, is this idea of choosing a different habit every month. Either a habit in the past it was for me a habit that I wanted to add, a habit I wanted to stack into the mix. But I think this year I might explore maybe habits that I want to shift or evolve or not do, right? Because it's a big a mix of both that can help support your goals. Yeah. So what's your perspective on habit stacking? That I love it.
SPEAKER_03:That's the whole point of let's go slow to go fast. And don't overwhelm yourself either. Because again, if you stack too many, you might fail with that. But starting one at a time, it could be a week, it could be like a month, like you said, and it can be anything. I want to eat a banana every morning. Perfect. Am I setting myself up for success with that? I want to reduce my coffee intake so I only have coffees on Wednesday. You know yourself best whether you want to believe it or not. And so with the habit stacking, what are you gonna do to set yourself up for success with it? If it's monthly, I love that. If it's daily, cool. Could be a real go-getter with that. I would probably be weekly, just so that I stay consistent with it. But that's the that's everything that we're saying. Go slow to go fast. And to me, it also goes back to when I work with clients, I always say, let's do one percent every day. So think about this. What January has 31 days, right? If you want to set an intention for January and you want to take KK's advice over here, I'm gonna ask you to do one thing a day. It could be anything. So today, ours could be doing this podcast because that's one percent of taking care of ourselves, talking, connecting, things that we like to do. Now, tomorrow, it can be completely different. You get to pick what your 1% is every day, as long as it's healthy, and then think about that. At the end of January, you will have done 31 things. Now, isn't that a total different mindset? I love that. So, one percent every day. Now, I used to write 1% on my hand, I used to have it hanging in my offices on the mirrors so that I would remember to do it, and now I just do it, and now I do so many more. If you don't know where to start, you don't necessarily know about habit stacking, I do the 1% each day. And why not kick it off in January? I'm gonna read a chapter of a book today. Cool. That's one healthy thing you did today, and then you get excited because you're motivated to do more.
SPEAKER_01:I love that one percent. I feel like on the days when I am not feeling motivated, I'm gonna have to put a one somewhere. Doesn't that align with what you were saying? Our astrological year of the horse and year of one. Very good. Yes. I love the wraparound on that. Yes. Fantastic. There's so much more we could dive into, but I do feel like coming into all right, we've talked about resolutions, intentions, we've talked about what could support people on those. One of those things could be swinging on into the woods and giving us a call. So I know there's a ton going on this month. What's the one thing that you're most excited about in January?
SPEAKER_03:Oh, for January? Yeah. One thing for January. So I'm super excited that we are re-engaging our alumni. I think it's gonna be really cool. We created a detox challenge, and each week in January is gonna be dedicated to one of our pillars. So like physical health, the detox. So each week has a theme, like spirit week. Love it. I want to do spirit week again, and the team's like, oh boy, Caitlin. But don't worry. I got a ton of February ideas. We'll see what we can put in there. But that's what I'm most excited for. So we had our if our alumni are listening, we had our Thanksgiving alumni appreciation night, and it was so beautiful. It was so organic, and that's just what I love. And so bringing everybody together, we're gonna have support groups for them too, virtually at different times. So that's what I'm looking forward to.
SPEAKER_01:Awesome. There's so much, even if you're not an alum, there's so much that you can take away from that because we're obviously gonna weave it into some social content, some website stuff, probably e-blast stuff. How are you framing out that alumni experience? Like week one is physical health, right? Week two is mental health, week three is looking within, so immune system, IV therapy. How does that support different things that might support the internal wellness perspective of things? And then week four is detox, obviously, depending on your holiday choices, yeah, and no judgment whatsoever, whether it's uh beverages, food, and it's the only way you can get through the holiday. But really, throughout the year, there's things to detox from environmental difference. So it we're not saying January 1st is the only thing you need to detox from, but I think it fits really well into what can help the body release, clear, and reset if you have more of those physical, mental goals in mind. So 100%.
SPEAKER_03:I love it.
SPEAKER_01:Cool. What else would we want to highlight for January?
SPEAKER_03:Listen, Woody. So I'm still working on that behind the scenes. So if anybody wants to donate, find investors, partnerships, I am here for it. Just email me, call me on my cell phone. I not call me maybe because I will answer. So we have that working behind the scenes. Obviously, my book launch behind the scenes, too. So to me, we're really gonna be like refreshing January and then February, we're gonna have more vendors come in and do a theme of galantines, palantine, or just whatever. So we're trying to come up with like different packages where if you want to come with your girlfriends or your partner or yourself and each week do that. Plus, I'm gonna make everybody make Valentine's Day boxes and we're gonna make Valentines for each other too. So I'm gonna try to focus on like healthy relationships and different things like that.
SPEAKER_01:That is such a critical piece, and there's so much we can do to support, improve, and add more connection to our relationship.
SPEAKER_03:And so we are being very intentional, like we're not just saying we uh community, we support community, we do, and so we want to support each other and build that network around each other, and our alum are the perfect people to do that with because they're already been through and are on memberships and part of us.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. So speaking of memberships, yeah, if you're wanting to start. Your year rooted. Memberships are a great way to do that. I know we've talked about this in the past on one of the episodes, but you can start with a monthly membership.$125. I know. That's a steal.
SPEAKER_03:It really is. Like when you break down everything, we have different pathways. A la carte services, and never be afraid of that either. You want to come get a massage, come get a massage. You want an IV, come get an IV. You want to get a foot detox, you can do that. And so that's just regular a la carte services. And then obviously we have our program piece, which includes all our a la carte services. So that's a great deal. It just depends on where you're at in your life and if you're interested in that. But then our third opportunity is our memberships, which again, the price point is on point. And it is such a great way to stay connected to us at Into the Woods, utilize our services, get discounts too. Cause when you're a member, you get 10% off of certain things. That's it's really cool. And I'm so glad that we have expanded and have those different pathways. And the coolest piece is like you get to mix and match. So one of your services, you can get a massage that month. And then let's say you want to use your four credits on a foot detox and the sauna. And then the next month you want to use your service and you want to get an IV. And you want lymphatic, and then you want a recipe or whatever that looks like or yoga or one of the studio classes.
SPEAKER_01:That's totally what I've been doing, mixing and matching.
SPEAKER_03:And that's so to me, the whole vision of how I see this is that we're like a school of healing. Our memberships are our curriculum. But those are your I was gonna say a la carte classes, but um, not your core classes, mix and match. Your electives. Your electives. That's what I see is that I really look at the memberships as that piece and that we are your health advisors along the way.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. I just obviously a bit biased because I enjoy it. I'm a part of the team, but it is such a great way for me to support the various goals, just stepping away from the day-to-day grind and to-dos. So to step into the studio space or Izzy's massage room, or even just your back IV space with the beautiful forest view. I know 100% recommend.
SPEAKER_03:You're like, okay, I signed up for this. When we make a financial commitment to something, we know that gyms, their I is it their busiest time of the year, the year signing up, doing that. But with the membership, it's year-round. And I I just think it's an amazing opportunity, and people have really liked it and been able to control how your academic calendar kind of looks absolutely classes.
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely. So, yes, there's also gonna be some fun information and conversations around peptide therapy, also around a bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.
SPEAKER_03:Yes, that has been so cool.
SPEAKER_01:Actually, I was just talking with Kelly and Ginger. Okay, and they are super excited about the idea of a podcast where we just dive into girl talk.
SPEAKER_03:Love it.
SPEAKER_01:Talk about the things that women experience, right? That it's not openly talked about. B H R T, that's the abbreviation for bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, which is a mouthful. Um, but just so cool. Yes, to hear how that hormone support changing lives, changing the day-to-day experience, giving people more energy. Yes.
SPEAKER_03:Helping them find that spark again. Yes. Um, we've already had people who have because you can do pellets, you can do cream, you can do injection or oral. But obviously, the pellets you're gonna have the faster, better outcome, and you don't have to keep coming in. So they slowly release over four to six months. Interesting. And so it's been cool to hear the feedback already. Jenny already got one review that we'll post soon. Oh my gosh, my brain fog has gone away. I have more energy, I want to do these things. And uh we're meant to be in a healthy state. We're not meant to be in survival mode, in fight or flight all of the time. And so we have a lot of new things that can help with that.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. And not last by any means, because there's so many things we can talk about, but we've got the meal prep stuff you're still gonna continue doing.
SPEAKER_03:Yes, yes, and so we're gonna try to get it on a bi-weekly basis too. So that's what we're working on and also planning for this next year. And people have really been loving that. And then once we have Woody operational too, we'll be able to have even Woody can just sit out here too. People can come to us as well. But yeah, that'll basically be on my intention board is Woody and bringing that to life. And although it took a lot of work to do it and put it out there and win some money for it, now I feel like the real work starts of bringing it to life.
SPEAKER_01:It'll happen though. There's a lot of excitement and possibility around it. So that's great. Yes. All right, so as we wrap up episode six about this new year, starting the new year grounded. Let's just reflect back on what that could look like. What did 2025 look like for you? It was a ride.
SPEAKER_03:A bumpy one.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, ups and downs as life is. And then how do we want to take those lessons, those nuggets, and plant something new for 2026? Or nurture the seeds that we've already planted. Yeah. Yeah. And having it not be like hard and fast rules, right? Not be restrictive, but more of an intention that can grow and evolve as I'm evolving. Because we're constantly in this state of evolution. It's people, it's just the human journey. So I think one of the last things we'll highlight is finding your people, having those accountability check-ins.
SPEAKER_03:And it's really important. They still that you're like the top five people you hang out with. Look at who's around you and look at that, whether that's their energy that's influencing you, all of it. And find the right people that align with your values.
SPEAKER_01:Yep. And how will you stay connected to that one thing every day, that one person to really help you stay rooted, stay grounded and connected to yourself, mind, body, soul, whatever feels right for you. Awesome. Anything else that you would uh share as we wrap up this first episode in twice?
SPEAKER_03:As you're headed into the new year, I love the habit stacking, the 1% every day. And these are just suggestions. Find what works for you, find your tribe, find the right people. And if you can't find them, maybe come to Into the Woods and see if there's some here. But I would highly encourage you if you are interested in anything that we do. We offer a free 15 to 20 minute consultation, see if we're a good fit for you, learn about our pathways, or otherwise just keep following us.
SPEAKER_01:And maybe at some point we'll be the tribe that you might need. Yeah. So many exciting ways to start, explore, reconnect to self. Happy New Year, everyone. Grow those seeds. We're here if you need us. Be well, be still, become. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us. We'd also love to connect with you. Reach out at info at into the woodsjourney.com or visit our website at www.intothewoodsjourney.com to explore your path to wellness. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for listening.
