Compilation Post : End of the Year 2023

Here's a 2023 Compilation:

 

On Books: I consumed 99 books this year  ✎

Here are my top 10 books:

• The Border of Paradise by Esme Weijun Wang
• In Search of Silence by Poorna Bell
• Your Story by Joanne Fedler
• Bittersweet by Susan Cain
• Reproduction by Louisa Hall
• Women Talking by Miriam Toews
• Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain de Botton
• From Darkness Into Light by A Helwa
• If An Egyptian Cannot Speak English by Noor Naga

I also found a bookish safe haven, in Perpustakaan Kuala Lumpur, for half of 2023, I spent a lot of time in the bookstores all around KL but hardly bought any books. So when I found a reliable library to hide in, I was so excited. 

I ended my 2023 by reading all the Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles ❀ and it was a 5 stars experience ⊹ ࣪ ˖

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On Walking: ✦

I stopped running and I started walking. The running doesn't align with my soul at this moment, so I started walking and it seemed to calm me a bit. I'm trying to walk in the city at least once every week, taking the whole day off and just having a long walk the whole day. I love it. 

I created a good EDC bag that I bring with me on my walks and it holds all my necessities. I think I'll share that in another post because I took months of walking to slowly develop a good EDC based on my needs. 

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On Work: ✦

This year, I aimed to work with a fintech kan.

I got the job - it is still new, I got offered a full-time job with a fintech company starting Jan (been working as a freelancer with them this year) and am still on a project with a finance-related agency (due early Jan). 

So for now, hopefully, the work part is okay.

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On health: ✦

Can't sleep, this year is the year I am sleep-deprived (eh, probably sleep-deprived since I got Sofi kan). But other than sleeping issues, I don't have that much constant body pain compared to the last few years. Less episodes with neck strain, and shoulder/back pain. My advice is, if you have recurring body pain issues, try to look deeper into your mental health, whether you are experiencing constant stress, anxiety, unspoken unresolved issues, etc. 

What changed this year, is I confronted my issues and talked with my people - I no longer keep them aside, I choose to face them, and the load that I was carrying alone, is now shared. So the usual stiffness in my upper body due to these unresolved issues that I was keeping, has lessened. There is a term called 'somatization', the expression of psychological or emotional factors as physical (somatic) symptoms. For example, stress can cause some people to develop headaches, chest pain, back pain, nausea, or fatigue. It is real and I had them for several years because I tried to handle everything myself, it was eating me from the inside.  

Well, this year for me was better regarding the body pain issues.

However, I now have a sleeping problem - I wake up too early, to manage this, I try to sleep in early (around 8ish pm). But I still wake up around 3 - 4 am, sometimes even around 2 am. Then I toss and turn until 4 - 5 am to start my day. This is new, so I don't know how to solve this problem yet. 

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On Writing: ✦

I wanted to write 8 posts every month on this blog and I managed to do that.

I also write in my journal (when I can) and do some kind of fiction writing, so I think that's a good start.

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Honestly, I'm not excited for anything in 2024, I just want it to be a better wholesome year for me, less struggle, less drama, less pain. 

Also, saying hello to 37 with open hands .𖥔 ݁ ˖