Hi, Reader!

Do you ever get that uneasy feeling? The one that makes you think: If everything’s good, something bad is probably coming.

Maybe things are peaceful right now. But your mind won’t let you enjoy it. It keeps scanning for danger, even when none is there.

It’s not pessimism. It’s hypervigilance, which is a survival skill your brain learned growing up in emotional chaos. It served you then. Now, you’re learning it’s not needed anymore.

Sometimes, on a bright morning, I’ll be sitting with my coffee, sunlight pouring in, and everything feels calm. That’s when panic stirs: This won’t last. My body braces for something bad.

That’s when I take a deep breath and remind myself: Right here, right now, everything is good. I am free to enjoy this peace. And just like that, the tension loosens, if only a little at first.

3 steps to help your brain trust peace again

Hypervigilance is one of the challenges that I work on every day. All these years after I started my healing journey, my brain still wants to revert to my former hypervigilant way of thinking. This healing stuff is a lifelong journey, Reader!

Fortunately, I discovered breathing and grounding tools that helped, and I use them often.

Here’s what I do – and it might help you, too, Reader.

1️⃣Name it before it names you​
When the watch out voice rears up, say softly: “This is hypervigilance. It isn’t reality.” Those words pause the fear and remind your brain: you’re safe.

2️⃣Calm the body before reasoning with the brain​
Your mind might race, but your body is ready to slow down. Try this: inhale for four counts, hold for two, exhale for six. Breathe through it three times.

3️⃣Ground yourself in the now​
Look around: name five things you see, four you feel, three you hear, two you smell, one you taste. These sticky notes in your mind remind you: We’re here. You’re okay.

These steps don’t erase fear overnight but they invite peace into your reality, one breath at a time.

📺 Curious about the why behind hypervigilance? My latest video explains it: ▶Watch How to Stop Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop​

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Every week, I post new videos. Subscribe to my YouTube channel to be notified when new videos are up so you never miss a new one!

I’m rooting for you, Reader!

Jody 💛
Author & Educator for Adult Children of Alcoholics

P.S. If you found yourself using one of these three steps today, reply to this email and let me know.

Resources and Recommendations

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