Awareness is powerful—but it’s not magic. You’ve done the work. You’ve read the books. You’ve gained insight. You know what your patterns are. So why do they still show up? Why are you still people-pleasing? Still avoiding rest? Still getting pulled into the same spirals? If you’ve ever felt the sting of “I should know better by now”—you’re not alone. And you’re not failing. You’re being human.

We’re often told that rest is good for us. That slowing down is essential.But if you’ve ever tried to actually rest—and ended up feeling more unsettled than calm—you’re not alone. In therapy, I often hear versions of the same thing:“I finally got a moment to myself… and I couldn’t relax.”“I sat down and felt guilty, like I should be doing something.”

Let’s be honest — it’s entirely possible to look like you’re holding it all together while feeling like you’re barely keeping your head above water.