I'm struggling today. NGL. My sister called and it helped a lot. How are you doing? Let's support each other 💗

This morning, I woke up with my cat, Luke, snuggled close against my side. He's a big cat and he gives off a lot of heat. So you know he's there. He is a good grounding tool for me, so I buried my hand in his fur, and as he purred, I did my morning body scan. I had slept well, other than waking up to attend to my bladder. (I never wanted to disturb Luke, so I always climb out the other side of the bed, which it's much more inconvenient.) When I do my body scan, I like to use the 4-7-8 breathing technique, a calming, yogic-rooted exercise designed to reduce stress, anxiety, and aid sleep. It involves exhaling completely, inhaling through the nose for 4 seconds, holding for 7 seconds, and exhaling audibly through the mouth for 8 seconds. Repeat this cycle 4 times. This technique sends messages to my brain and nervous system that all is well. My body felt very good, overall, other than some remnants of back pain from giving my car a full thorough cleaning inside and out a couple of days ago. Boy did it NEED it! (I also ordered Colorado dinosaur plates for it and I felt like it should be all clean to receive them!) What I noticed more than my physical body sending messages were the emotional messages I was receiving. As I thought about what my day would look like, I felt slightly anxious because I know that I need to record video today, and that tends to make me anxious. I recognize that the anxiety I feel comes from a cognitive imbalance between wanting to get my message out there, which requires being SEEN, and early childhood trauma, which, even after all this time, sends messages to HIDE. What I have learned is that this imbalance is a recipe for paralysis. And the way that I've shifted my thinking is: Imperfect Progress Beats Perfection Paralysis EVERY TIME. Perfectionism is about how others perceive us. When I focus on the message, and the ways that it can help this community, the fear goes away. I know that what I have to teach you here has helped me maintain a symptom free life for 20 years. And that is far more important than how others perceive me, which I have no control over anyway.

You have been on my mind. I know that the reason you are here is because you are dealing with a condition that feels unmanageable. You've heard that autoimmune conditions are incurable. Maybe you're taking drugs or medications that are making you sick and the answer always seems to be more drugs and medications. I see you. I hear you. I've walked that walk. I want you to know that there is SO much more hope than you have been lead to believe. Is it work? Yes. Is it worth it? Definitely. For so many of us, the hardest part is just showing up for ourselves. Taking up space. Practicing the self-compassion required to say, "I'm going to take this time to do this thing for ME." I love to say: You can't pour from an empty vessel. And: Put your oxygen mask on first before putting it on the person next to you. Even if it's your child. Even if it's your mother or your spouse or best friend. Self-care isn't selfish. Putting yourself first means you have what you need to show up for the people you love. How have you shown yourself self-compassion this past week?

I’m starting this community slowly and intentionally. You’re welcome to read, rest, or participate — all are valid. If you want, reply with one word that describes how your body feels today.

A new platform can feel confusing at first! I thought this video from Jennifer Turner was really helpful. I hope you find it helpful too! 🥰 https://m.youtube.com/shorts/Nny65oUclbg