Today, I got some stressful news from back home.
And almost instantly, I felt it—the familiar wave trying to rise. Despair. Sadness. The aching belief that I’m always the one who cares, that I have to carry it all. The urge to spiral.
But something inside me whispered, “Wait.”
And I watched as my brain tried to open old drawers—filing cabinets filled with past hurts, disappointments, unresolved emotions. It started pulling them out one by one, blending them into today’s moment, trying to convince me this stress is bigger, older, deeper.
But I stopped it.
I said—firmly, lovingly, clearly:
“No. Not today. We’re not going there.”
And bestie, that was a breakthrough.
Because I realized that healing isn’t just about feeling better one day. It’s about noticing—in real time—when your mind tries to drag you back into the past. When it tries to recycle emotions that no longer belong in your present moment. When it mistakes stress for danger and spins stories you no longer need.
This time, I chose peace.
I chose to manage my brain instead of being managed by it.
I chose to stay in the now, even when it hurt a little.
And in doing so, I reminded myself:
Just because a drawer opens, doesn’t mean you need to read what’s inside.
You can close it.
You can breathe.
You can stay anchored in this version of you—the one who knows she’s held, supported, and no longer needs to spiral to survive.
That’s the real work. That’s the quiet power.
And that’s how we set ourselves free.
🌿 Mantras to Repeat When Your Mind Starts to Spiral:
🕊 “I choose to return to this moment. The past has no permission here.”
🌼 “Not every thought deserves my attention.”
🔥 “I am safe, I am supported, I am sovereign over my mind.”
🌙 “I don’t need to reopen closed chapters to prove I’ve lived them.”
🌺 “Peace is my choice, not my circumstance.”
You can whisper them when you feel the waves, write them on sticky notes, or even record your voice saying them and play them when you need that grounding hug.
✍🏾 Journal Prompts to Anchor the Growth:
- What are the “old drawers” my mind still tries to open when I’m stressed? What stories live there, and do they still serve me?
- What helped me pause and reclaim my power today? What can I learn from this moment of awareness?
- What does the version of me who stays calm and grounded believe about herself—and her ability to handle life?
- When I feel unsupported, how can I hold myself with more compassion and care? Where can I give myself what I long for from others?
- What is one loving, empowering sentence I want to remember next time my brain tries to spiral?
(Write it as a note from your higher self.)
Salima
Just thinking out loud over here