There is a moment, if you catch it, just before the stress expands.
It begins as a feeling of overwhelm. If left unchecked, it can grow until it takes up all the available energy and capacity, leading to what we clinically call an amygdala hijack.
But when you catch that moment before it fully takes over, something else becomes possible.
You can stop and reflect on what is real and what is not. You can ask what is in your control and what is not. From there, you can find a more accurate and actionable perspective.
You can remind yourself:
I know I can meet this. I have done hard things before. I can do this one too.
Over time, that practice becomes something deeper: trust in yourself and a calmness that does not depend on circumstances being easy.
The challenge is creating the space that makes that awareness possible in the first place.
Meditation and journaling are great for this. For me, it is also the walk, the shower, the drive with no podcast, or the pause with coffee before the day starts. These quiet moments are easy to treat as optional.
They are not optional.
They are how you stay in your own mind when everything is pulling at once.
So where do you find your space to catch it?