→ Let’s not go back to survival mode

Last week, we talked about nervous system survival — how to pause, protect, and preserve your peace as the world speeds up again.

This week? I want to take it deeper.

Because whether you’re in back-to-school mode, caregiving, leading a team, or just quietly holding it all together — it’s easy to lose yourself in the mix.

You start saying:

“I’ll rest after I…”

“Other people have it harder, I shouldn’t complain.”

“This isn’t the time for self-care.”

But here’s the truth I had to relearn (again) this weekend:

Self-care isn’t something you do after life slows down.

It’s what helps you survive while it’s still moving.

🛠 One Tool: The 3 Types of Self-Care We Forget

We hear a lot about bubble baths and boundaries — but real self-care, the kind that helps us stay regulated and whole, looks a little different.

1.

Functional Self-Care

The boring but powerful things:

• Going to bed at a decent hour

• Eating full meals (not leftover crusts and cold coffee)

• Taking meds or vitamins consistently

• Tackling one nagging task to reduce mental clutter

2.

Emotional Self-Care

The part we avoid when we’re busy:

• Naming what you’re really feeling

• Letting someone check in on you

• Crying if you need to (without shame)

• Giving yourself permission to rest without performing first

3.

Restorative Self-Care

The part that brings you back to yourself:

• Walking without a podcast — just breath

• Barre or Pilates with music that soothes

• Reading something that doesn’t teach, just lets you escape

• Drinking your coffee hot. On purpose.

Pick one this week. And protect it like it matters — because it does.

✅ Gentle Reset Checklist

For every woman holding things down — at home, at work, or in silence.

• ☐ Go to bed 30 minutes earlier tonight

• ☐ Eat lunch without multitasking

• ☐ Ask: What do I need more of right now?

• ☐ Say no to one thing this week (even a small thing)

• ☐ Text a friend: “Can I be honest for a sec?”

• ☐ Do one thing that’s just for you — not for the house, not for the kids, not for the job. You.

This isn’t about indulgence.

It’s about coming back to life.

🤍 One Gentle Reminder

You don’t have to earn your rest.

You don’t have to hold it together to be worthy of support.

You don’t have to wait for burnout before you take a breath.

If your nervous system is screaming, if your body feels tight, if your emotions are parked in the backseat — that doesn’t mean you’re broken.

It means you’re human.

And it’s time to take care of her, too.

🔥 By the Fire Pit

A few things feeding me lately — body, mind, and spirit. Take what you need.

📚 Reading:

It’s Not Always Depression by Hilary Jacobs Hendel — a powerful reminder that beneath anxiety, burnout, and people-pleasing, there are core emotions we were never taught to feel, let alone express.

💬 Quote I’m sitting with:

“Suppressing core emotions takes a toll on our minds and bodies. But when we allow ourselves to feel, we come back to life.”

— Hilary Jacobs Hendel

📝 Journal Prompt:

What emotions have I been pushing down to keep things running smoothly?

What would it look like to make space for just one of them this week?

👥 Let’s Regulate, Connect, and Thrive — Together

✨ For Preteens & Parents

Navigating the Social Scene

A 12-week group for middle schoolers who need help with confidence, friendships, and emotional regulation.

📍 Starts September 10th | Bloomfield, NJ

📝 Learn more + register

💛 For Women Who Carry It All

Calm in the Chaos

This therapy group is for moms, mother-figures, and women who hold everyone together but never get held themselves.

Regulate your nervous system. Breathe again.

📍 Fall sessions forming now

📬 Join the interest list

Looking forward to seeing you on the other side of burnout, overwhelm, and survival mode — one small reset at a time.

We’re already on the mend.

xx,

Moya