This is such a good question and honestly, it’s making me think about writing a whole post on it.
I absolutely do. Looking back, the warning signs were everywhere for me, I just didn’t have the language for them yet.
It started as this embodied, low-grade hum of anxiety. Then came the ruminating about what was going on, what I should do, who I should talk to. A lot of mental obsession, and then outwardly: talking ad nauseam, procrastinating with very little productivity, indulging in overwhelm and indecision, and wanting to run.
Today, the moment I sense any frenetic energy, I pause. And then I pause some more. I’ve created a decent amount of space between the version of me who reacted from panic and the one who responds from safety and choice. Probably no surprise that that tiny (but hard) shift has led to a lot fewer dumpster fires in my life.
The signs are always there we just get really good at dismissing them because acknowledging them means slowing down, and slowing down feels unbearable when you’re already spiraling.
What do your warning signs look like? I’m always curious how other people notice these shifts.
loved this midlife isn’t about fixing or erasing the parts of ourselves that feel “chaotic” or restless. It’s about noticing, unfolding, and holding those impulses with awareness instead of shame. Growth often isn’t about becoming someone else; it’s about staying present to the parts of you that have always been there and learning to coexist with them.
Excellent analisys of how appearances can deceive. Do you think there are ever any subtle warning signs before that kind of quicksand chapter begins?
This is such a good question and honestly, it’s making me think about writing a whole post on it.
I absolutely do. Looking back, the warning signs were everywhere for me, I just didn’t have the language for them yet.
It started as this embodied, low-grade hum of anxiety. Then came the ruminating about what was going on, what I should do, who I should talk to. A lot of mental obsession, and then outwardly: talking ad nauseam, procrastinating with very little productivity, indulging in overwhelm and indecision, and wanting to run.
Today, the moment I sense any frenetic energy, I pause. And then I pause some more. I’ve created a decent amount of space between the version of me who reacted from panic and the one who responds from safety and choice. Probably no surprise that that tiny (but hard) shift has led to a lot fewer dumpster fires in my life.
The signs are always there we just get really good at dismissing them because acknowledging them means slowing down, and slowing down feels unbearable when you’re already spiraling.
What do your warning signs look like? I’m always curious how other people notice these shifts.
loved this midlife isn’t about fixing or erasing the parts of ourselves that feel “chaotic” or restless. It’s about noticing, unfolding, and holding those impulses with awareness instead of shame. Growth often isn’t about becoming someone else; it’s about staying present to the parts of you that have always been there and learning to coexist with them.