Introspection

28/09/2026

23/09/2026

How do you stop doing it?

17/09/2026

Bringing this back up on the grid because we can all use a little reminder every now and then about how we do not need to always depend on others to reassure or validate us. We can do that for ourselves. That is how we start to build confidence and feel more secure in ourselves. This type of self-talk is also how we can quiet our inner self-critic.

When you choose to accept and validate yourself, your brain registers that you are safe and capable. Over time, this builds confidence because you’ve created a habit of treating yourself with respect and kindness. It’s like telling yourself every day, “I’m worthy, I’m capable,” and your brain listens, slowly reshaping your self-view. This simple act is powerful because it can help you face challenges with more resilience and trust in yourself.

Self-validation is a powerful tool to ease anxiety, doubt, and self-criticism. But it’s important to balance it with accountability to avoid excusing behavior that might not be in our best interest or aligned with our values. To monitor this balance, start by asking yourself two questions: Am I validating my experience while also considering how my actions or choices impact others around me?

Take care of your mind and body. Love, Nawal ♥️

16/09/2026

Avoidance works brilliantly in the short term: anxiety drops, relief arrives and the brain records the escape as successful. The difficulty is what happens next. Because you left before discovering that you could cope, the threat belief remains untested. The next attempt often feels harder, so life becomes smaller while anxiety becomes more convincing. Recovery usually involves gradual, planned approach—not forcing yourself into the deepest end. Choose a manageable step, remain long enough to gather new information and repeat it until your brain learns that discomfort is survivable. The goal is not to feel no anxiety before acting. It is to stop making anxiety the person who decides where you can go.

05/09/2026

"When you are inside your window of tolerance, you can feel and still think. You can be upset and still respond. You can connect, reflect, and cope.

When you are outside it, you may go into hyperarousal, with panic, anger, racing thoughts, or urgency. Or hypoarousal, with numbness, shutdown, fog, or collapse.

This is not weakness. It is capacity.

Try this: ask, am I too activated, too shut down, or within my window? Then choose the strategy that fits. Calming if activated. Gentle movement if shut down. Problem-solving only when you are back within range." Save this if you want a simple way to understand regulation.

01/09/2026

30/08/2026

"The body can carry old threat responses.

Tension. Startle. Shutdown. Hypervigilance. Gut symptoms. Breath holding. A jaw that never relaxes. A body that expects criticism, conflict, or loss before anything has happened.

But the body is not only where pain is stored. It is also where safety can be relearned.

Try this: several times today, let your exhale be longer than your inhale and look for one cue of safety in the present. A warm drink. A quiet room. A kind face. A door you can leave through. The ground under your feet.

Small repeated cues matter." Save this if you are working on helping your body feel safer.

13/08/2026

"You cannot always think your way into feeling safe.

That is because the nervous system does not only listen to logic. It also listens to breath, posture, light, sound, temperature, movement, facial expression, tone of voice, and connection.

This is why body-based strategies can matter.

Try this: soften your jaw, lower your shoulders, lengthen your exhale, look around the room, and let your eyes land on something pleasant or neutral.

You are not pretending everything is fine. You are giving your body small cues that the present moment may be safer than the alarm system thinks." Save this if you want practical nervous-system tools.

23/04/2026

The message around self-care is often that its something you 'add' to your life. The bubble bath, holidays, massages.

But sometimes, it's about what we're willing to remove....
Overcommiting to things that we dont have capacity for, people-pleasing or pushing through exhaustion.

Sometimes its simply about protecting our peace and energy.

Not all self-care is Instagram worthy and at times it can feel really hard.