You deserve the best of you, not just what's left of you.

Read that again.

Because if we're being honest, a lot of people are moving through life on autopilot, running on fumes, and calling it normal.

• You wake up already thinking about what needs to get done
• You're answering emails while eating breakfast
• You're mentally preparing for conversations that haven't happened yet
• You're taking care of everyone else's needs while pushing your own to the bottom of the list

And because you've been doing it for so long, you don't even think of it as stress anymore.

You call it life.

But what if it's actually survival mode?

Survival mode doesn't always look dramatic. It doesn't always look like panic attacks or emotional breakdowns. Sometimes it looks like being highly productive while quietly exhausted. It looks like feeling guilty when you rest. It looks like constantly thinking three steps ahead, and never fully relaxing because part of you is always waiting for the next thing to go wrong.

The tricky thing about survival mode is that it can become familiar. So familiar that you stop noticing it.

You stop noticing that

• your body is always tense
• that you're tired even after sleeping
• that you're showing up for your life, but not actually experiencing it

I see this often. You're capable, successful, responsible, and get things done.

But you're also tired.

Not because you're weak, or lazy.

But because you've spent so much time carrying, anticipating, fixing, managing, and pushing through that you rarely get the opportunity to simply be.

And eventually, the body starts asking for what the mind has been ignoring...Rest.

So this month, instead of asking yourself, "What else needs to get done?" I want you to ask a different question:

"What do I need?"

Not what everyone else needs from you.

Not what's next on the list.

What do YOU need?

Because surviving your life and actually being present in it are two different things.

And you deserve more than what's left of you after everyone and everything has taken their portion.

You deserve the best of you.

"Sis, Stop Spiraling" If your brain has ever turned one small thought into a full-blown three-season Netflix series, this one is for you. In this edition of The Anxious Woman Playbook, we're talking about overthinking, anxiety, and what's happening in your nervous system when your mind just won't let something go. Through relatable examples and cultural idioms, you'll learn how to interrupt the cycle and create a little more peace in your day. I need this!

Coming Soon! The next edition of The Anxious Woman Playbook is dropping soon, and this one is for everyone who's ever said "yes" when they wanted to say "absolutely not." Boundaries, Sis... Boundaries. Being available is not the same thing as being healthy. And constantly choosing other people's comfort over your own peace has a cost. Be the first on the list!

​
​Here are some of my favorite "emergency kit line-up" anxiety and stress management wellness items!

• ​Boom Boom Sticks - Nasal sticks use calming scents to naturally reduce anxiety and stress through portable aromatherapy.
• ​Instant Ice Cold Packs - Portable ice packs help ease anxiety and panic by cooling the neck, face, or chest to slow the heart rate and ground the nervous system. Hold it on your chest or neck for 15-20 minutes to stimulate the vagus nerve.
• ​Extreme Sour Candy - Extreme sour candy can help manage acute anxiety and panic by grounding the brain through its intense flavor, diverting focus from racing thoughts to the immediate physical sensation.
• ​Loop Earplugs - Earplugs can reduce anxiety by blocking sensory overload and loud, unexpected noises, helping to calm the “fight‑or‑flight” response and improve focus.
• ​Weighted Lap Pad - Weighted lap pads can reduce anxiety by providing deep touch pressure that calms the nervous system, eases restlessness, and improves focus during seated tasks.
• ​Mind and Body Stress Balls - Stress balls can help manage anxiety by offering a tactile distraction, releasing tension, and grounding you in the moment, working well for temporary stress and potentially reducing long‑term anxiety with regular use.

These are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase at no extra cost to you.

Your partner in wellness,

Erika T. Kendrick, LPC

​www.erikatkendrick.com​