Hey friends! Let's have a real talk about what happens when life throws your carefully planned 2025 into a plot twist. As both your nerdy big sis and life coach, I'm about to break down what's actually happening in that beautiful brain of yours – and more importantly, how to work with it, not against it.
When you unexpectedly get enlisted as God's strongest soldier - what's really going on?
I had 2025 mapped out. My vision board was giving luxury, my routines were locked in, my planners? Aesthetic excellence. My priorities? Crystal clear. And? Life happened.
Health issues blindsided me. My routines fell apart. My timeline crumbled. My plans, the ones I had been so intentional about? Completely out of sync with my new reality.
And maybe for you, it’s not health. Maybe it’s a job loss, a breakup, grief, burnout—something that has shaken the foundation of your plans. And now you’re wondering: How do I even begin again?
I won’t tell you to “just push through", because I know what it’s like when your body and mind literally refuse to cooperate. Instead, I want to walk you through a real, neuroscience-backed, actionable strategy to help you rebuild when everything feels out of sync.
The One Thing Rule – Give Your Brain a Fighting Chance
When life takes a detour, your brain panics. Your prefrontal cortex (your logical decision-maker aka your brain's CEO) tries to regain control, but your amygdala (your survival system aka the dramatic sibling in the family) is ringing all the alarms.
Overwhelm isn’t just emotional—it’s neurological.
The fix? Choose one thing to anchor yourself to.
🔹 Pick one non-negotiable goal to maintain
🔹 Do it at the same time daily (your brain loves patterns)
🔹 Start smaller than you think you need to
🔹 Celebrate even the tiniest progress
For me? Content creation. I couldn’t write entire chapters of my book or attend every class I planned, but I could show up with my voice. That was enough to keep me from feeling like I was disappearing.
When you choose one thing, you give your brain a familiar anchor—something stable to hold onto when everything else feels unpredictable.
The Acceptance Shift – Stop Fighting Reality
I spent weeks resisting. I kept trying to “push through” and act like nothing changed. My stress levels were through the roof, my body was screaming for rest, and my mind was stuck in a loop of frustration. Resistance is stress. Acceptance is strategy.
Try this when life forces you into a new reality:
🔹 Name what’s happening (literally say it out loud)
🔹 Separate what’s within your control from what isn’t
🔹 Reframe the detour as an opportunity, not a punishment
For example: Instead of “I can’t work out like before,” try “I’m learning a gentler way to move my body.” Instead of “I can’t work the way I used to,” try “This is my season to build in a different way.”
Acceptance is not giving up. It’s recalibrating.
Your Brain on Vision Boards – Why They Still Matter
That vision board you made? Don’t hide it just because you’re off track.
Your brain’s visual processing centers strengthen neural pathways when you see your goals daily.
Even if you feel disconnected from them right now, keep them visible.
🔹 Morning visualization = strengthens neural networks
🔹 Writing goals = engages multiple brain regions
🔹 Speaking affirmations = primes your belief system
Your future isn’t cancelled. It’s just recalibrating.
Your Vibe Tribe – Your Nervous System Depends on It
Isolation kills motivation. Period.
Your nervous system co-regulates with the people around you. When I was at my lowest, my support system did more than just check in—they helped regulate my stress levels.
🔹 Find people who match your growth energy
🔹 Surround yourself with calm, grounded support
🔹 Let people speak life into you when you can’t
Your environment will either regulate you or dysregulate you. Choose wisely.
Set a Comeback Date – Give Your Brain a Target
Your brain thrives on certainty. When I decided March was my “comeback” month, I wasn’t just setting a goal—I was giving my nervous system something to anticipate.
🔹 Your brain needs timelines to activate goal-setting circuits
🔹 Small, progressive wins build neural resilience
🔹 Regular self-assessments keep you moving forward
Even if life still feels uncertain, give yourself a soft return date—not to pressure yourself, but to give your brain something to work towards.
The Joy Practice – Small Wins Rewire Your Brain
When life knocks you down, your dopamine system takes a hit. You literally stop feeling pleasure the same way.
The fix? Micro-joys.
🔹 Morning sunlight (regulates cortisol & serotonin aka the stress and happy hormones respectively)
🔹 Gentle movement (promotes brain growth factors)
🔹 Music therapy (activates multiple brain regions)
🔹 Nature therapy (lowers stress hormones)
You don’t wait to feel better before you add joy back to your life. You add joy back so your brain remembers how to feel better.
Self-Care Is Brain Care (Your Nervous System Needs It More Than You Think)
We’ve been sold the soft life aesthetic, but let’s talk about real self-care—the type that restores your nervous system, not just gives you a dopamine hit for five minutes.
Self-care isn’t just face masks and spa days (though those are nice). It’s how you regulate your emotions, protect your energy, and build your sense of safety in the world.
🔹 Nervous System Care → If your body doesn’t feel safe, your brain will keep you in survival mode. So, what makes you feel safe? Cozy environments, deep breathing, routines that tell your brain ‘we are okay.’ Small things like keeping warm, eating nourishing meals, or hugging a loved one literally tell your nervous system to stand down from high alert.
🔹 Movement-Based Self-Care → Your brain produces brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is basically brain fertilizer, when you move. Even if you can’t hit the gym, try a slow morning stretch, a walk in fresh air, or even dancing in your room. The goal is not intensity; it’s regulation.
🔹 Boundaries Are Self-Care → I used to think burnout was just about working too hard until I realized it was also about neglecting myself in relationships. Over-explaining, over-committing, saying ‘yes’ to things that drained me. When you honor your boundaries, you tell your brain: ‘I am someone who takes care of myself.’
🔹 Digital Detoxing for Brain Health → Doom-scrolling isn’t relaxation; it’s low-key overstimulation. Give your brain pockets of quiet. Put your phone away for an hour. Eat without distractions. Take a silent walk. This clears mental fog and reduces anxiety.
🔹 The Small Acts That Make You Feel Like YOU Again → You know those tiny rituals that make you feel put together? A swipe of your favorite lipstick. Wearing that perfume. Taking time to do your hair. Making your bed like you’re in a luxury hotel. These are not trivial things. They are anchors. They reaffirm your identity when life feels chaotic.
Real self-care is making decisions today that your future self will thank you for.
Faith & Neuroscience – Rewiring Your Mind Through Spiritual Practice
I don’t just pray because it’s a routine. I pray because it changes me.
Prayer is not just spiritual; it’s neurological. Studies show that consistent prayer and meditation reshape the brain, creating pathways for calm, focus, and emotional regulation.
How?
🔹 Prayer reduces overactivity in the amygdala → That means less fear, less anxiety, and more emotional stability. Your brain stops defaulting to panic.
🔹 Faith increases the size of your prefrontal cortex → The part of your brain responsible for decision-making, problem-solving, and self-control strengthens when you engage in consistent spiritual practice.
🔹 Faith strengthens hope circuits → Your brain builds positive expectation loops when you actively practice gratitude, visualization, and trust. You become wired for optimism and resilience.
Personal Faith Practices That Keep Me Grounded:
💛 Prayer Journaling → Writing down my prayers helps me track my faith journey and see proof that things work out in the end. It also helps me process emotions in a deeper way than just thinking about them.
💛 Scripture as Affirmations → I have specific Bible verses that I use as mindset shifts. Example: Instead of “I’m stuck,” I tell myself "All things are working for my good" (Romans 8:28).
💛 The 5-Minute Stillness Rule → Before I start my day or before I spiral into overthinking, I pause. Just 5 minutes of stillness. It regulates my nervous system, shifts my energy, and reminds me that I’m not doing this life alone.
💛 Community-Based Faith → Whether it’s my church, a Bible study group, or just talking to faith-filled friends, I’ve learned that faith grows strongest in community. Your belief system is constantly reinforced by the people you surround yourself with.
Faith isn’t just believing in something bigger—it’s rewiring your brain to live in certainty, even when life is uncertain.
Your Comeback Story Is Already in Motion
Friend, listen to me: Your brain is wired for resilience. Your neuroplasticity? That’s your superpower.
Every single setback, every shift, every moment of stillness—it’s building something in you.
Wherever you are right now – whether you're reading this from your bed, your office, or hiding in your bathroom for a moment of peace – I need you to hear this:
🔹This season? It's just that – a season.
🔹Those goals you set? They're not dead, they're just being redirected.
🔹That fire in your soul? It's still there, even if it feels like just embers right now.
💛You're not behind.
💛You're not failing.
💛You're not lost.
You're exactly where you need to be, learning what you need to learn, so you can become who you're meant to be. Take the pressure off yourself to bounce back immediately. Instead, focus on bouncing back better.
Remember: God doesn't give his hardest battles to his toughest soldiers. He creates tough soldiers through battles.
Keep showing up, keep taking those baby steps, and keep believing in the vision – even when you can't see the whole staircase.
I'm right here with you, rooting for you, believing in you, and knowing without a doubt that your comeback story is going to be even better than the original plan. 💛
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