Issue 7: Oh to be so full
Rituals/habits/hobbies/practices-INs of 2025
Dearest reader,
I am so excited to write this letter. My once very social and outgoing life has now beautifully shrunk into something slow and small-one that I appreciate, one that I do not control. I am relatively less online—inspired, not influenced. If you like, maybe this newsletter could do something similar for you.
Are there things in your life that you prioritise, and make a ritual out of it- any experience that does not involve a third party, and has the power to energise or refresh you? Here are some INs/rituals/micro-habits of 2025, that have been working for me, and might as well work for you.
Journaling
I used to think that it is pointless to write to a diary. Experimenting and finding new ways to maintain a journal has changed the way I consume content, or rest. Using a journal to record, plan, enlist, and reflect has been (I hate this word) transformative.
I have been following Meera for years now, and I love what she writes and curates. This one in particular inspired me to start a journal. I got a matte green journal and treated myself with a set of 10 coloured pens, they also come in gold and silver! Ever since, I have been making notes of the films I am watching, the things I want to buy, books I intend to read, tasks I have been meaning to do (1.scrape yellow paint off my bathroom’s floor, 2. make a poetry zine with blinkit bags). If this inspires you, start a journal, pick a hobby, or think of something, it could be niche, probably a journal of articles you are reading, book chapters, a buy-list, an affirmations one (lol), skin-care journal, or even a budget tracking one. I am an ex-Notion-lover-preacher-devotee, if you are someone who is more of a screen person, and you like tables/boards/really-sexy-templates for task lists, Notion it is! I am so massively grateful for my past self to have used Notion for making academic notes, and I am being generous and sharing David Howe’s Taxonomy notes with you with you here. If you are into sociology or have ever talked to me for longer than 2 hours, this is what I speak about and I still remember the quadrants because of my dear Notion notes.
Caitlyn’s milk fed is my comfort place at substack, and I absolutely LOVE the journal prompt list she has shared. If nothing, this will definitely inspire you to start one.
I refuse to be excited alone.
Budget tracker
This one has made my life so much easier!
In the last few months, I have been oblivious to my spending patterns, and fell prey to overconsumption multiple times (it sounds like a wasteful purchase but a plum handcream is really really worth buying). A budget tracker, with designated amount to bills, subscriptions, essentials, skincare, and other items-with a particular amount (depending on your income) for personal indulgence. This makes you feel abundance (given you budget it correctly) like you have just enough, dramatically prevents you from buying cute stuff, and makes your indulgence purchases so special!
Speaking of overconsumption and hoarding, if you did not grow up with money, when you finally make money as an adult, the minimalistic life bullshit sounds like crap. Come on, man, this is the first time some of us can afford 3 different kinds of blush, makeup fixer, cleasing balm AND skincare. It broke my heart when I had to give away 50-60 clothing items in the course of moving flats 4 times in 3 years-because I am physically incapable of carrying all that myself/I don’t have the space to keep them/they get worn out easily/and you lose money when you buy cheap. Quality over quantity saves you money. Having said that, once in a while a HillRoad/Colaba/Sarojini splurge is absolutely fine.
Here is a white woman talking about money for you. If you are good with Notion, I plan to shift my budget tracker from sheets to Notion, hit me up, I could use some help.
Mindful consumption of Cinema
I love cinema. There is such joy and pleasure in watching as slow film unfold, allowing your mind to marinate in thoughts and feelings that leave you with an aftertaste. Goldfish was one such film. It is devastatingly beautiful, simply because of the brilliance, magnificence, and magnetic presence of Deepti Naval.
If you too suffer from mindless scrolling and crap-cinema-watching, make a practice of watching films on the bigger screen, without your phone.
I have been gatekeeping this song- it is safe to share with smaller group of readers from the larger small group of my kind subscribers.
Tareekh humko likhegi, ya hum apne harbole hain? Main Meera hoon ya Meer hoon, tay nahi kiya abhi.
January recommends for a mindful watch: Peanut Butter Falcon/ I want to talk / Kisi se Na Kehna / Something From Tiffany’s / Silver Linings Playbook (HE GOT THOSE CRAZY EYES)/ The Idea of You (You will like this if you liked Intern or Anne Hathaway)/ Leap Year (who doesn’t like a dreamy end with a proposal).
Skincare and all that vibes
If I am to be honest with you, I started consuming an unhealthy amount of long form content—listening to YT girls tell me how to ‘transform my life’, ‘manifest under the light of Islam’, ‘20 microhabits for wellbeing’, ‘high-maintenance habits to stay low-maintenance’- and I fell into the rabbit hole where a girl named Naomi also suggested plastic surgery. It is ridiculous. I have been trying things (like a DIY rice water toner) and here is one recommendation, because everyone deserves a shiny soft skin.
A DIY body scrub - a sugar+honey+coconut oil+ vanilla/lavendar essence scrub-followed by a bar soap/bodywash- follow it up with a generous amount of coconut oil on damp skin-lather it with body lotion-and spray a mist or perfume. This makes the everything-sunday-shower 10x better-you will love it, anyone around you will love it, and you will thank me.
(boycott- Dove, The Ordinary, Garnier, Loreal, Maybelline- supporting a genocide will not make your skin glow).
Fish Oil/ multi-vitamins/ protein shakes/ hot water with turmeric and lemon to beat inflammation/ ginger lemon shots/ electrolytes during workouts/ Vicks Melatonin before sleep (best thing that has happened to me)/ spinach cucumber mint juice/ castor oil for lashes and brows / benzoyl peroxide (they don’t work for me tbh) for pimples/ gycolic acid (ordinary)>deo / double cleansing/ DRY BRUSHING/ under eye patches/ GuaSha/ rosemary+vitE+methi+coconut+castor concoction for hair, etc.
I am more than willing to do a FULL issue on these.
Misc.
Reading- A habit that helps me gradually come out of the slump is to pick essays instead of full books, or reading chapters/ articles/ op-eds/ substack (if that counts!). Of late, I am doing a slow reading of Roy’s My Seditious Heart, that was gifted by a friend. I am usually not open to recommendations, but do suggest me short reads- I do not mind dense at this point- write back to me and maybe we can do a reading club, a wild thought, if we have say more than 5 people willing?!
Plants- Oh Boy, what joy plucking mint leaves from your very own plant that you water, and using it in your food! Help me build a small garden, because I know nothing about plants.
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Warmly, lovingly, restfully,
Your dhoopkinara-builder-Hayaat.
I love the simplicity of this piece. Thank you for the list, i especially loved the self-care ones in terms of body scrub, turmeric and lemon drinks etc etc. Oh and of course, your list is a hit because it's genocide-free! (TBH with you, I do use some brands on the list, haven't weaned myself off completely, but, I'm trying).