You’re Not Broken. You’re in Survival Mode.

Hey Boo!

I just want you to know-

You’re not dramatic. You’re not “too much.” You’re not overreacting.

You’re in survival mode. And survival mode is hectic and loud.

It scans for danger, anticipates rejection, and prepares for disappointment before it happens. Survival mode can cause you to replay conversations over and over in your head and read between lines that may not even exist.

But it’s not because you’re messed up or broken. It’s because you experienced a shock to your nervous system and you’ve had to adapt. At some point in your life, being hyper-aware kept you safe. Overthinking protected you from danger and potential threats. Bracing for impact softened the blow and expecting less kept you from being disappointed when the person inevitably failed you. Your past experiences sent this message to your nervous system: “If I stay prepared, I stay protected.”

That makes complete sense- creating a survival strategy to be okay and minimize the risk of further danger. But the important thing to remember about survival strategies is that they don’t automatically turn off once the danger is gone. Your body doesn’t always know that you’re safe now, your mind doesn’t realize you’re no longer in that same toxic environment, and so it runs those old programs in new situations.

Running Old Programs in New Situations May Look Like:

Questioning Your Worth

Feeling Guilty For Resting

Feeling Like You Aren’t Doing Enough

Putting Too Much Pressure on Yourself

Wondering Why You Weren’t Chosen

Bracing in Relationships That Haven’t Actually Harmed You

It feels real because your body believes it is. But survival mode and present reality are not always the same thing.

And this is where self-trust begins. Don’t shame yourself for overthinking, there’s no need to force or feign positivity, and you don’t have to pretend not to be triggered when you are.

Just pause and gently ask yourself:

“Is this current, or is this familiar?”

Familiar feels urgent and is rooted in anxiety. Current is grounded in fact.

When you begin to notice the difference, you stop fighting yourself. You stop labeling yourself as ‘too sensitive’ or ‘too much’. You begin trusting your intuition and yourself and you realize that you’re not broken. You’re healing and coming back together just fine. You just needed to rebuild your self-trust.

Self-trust is built in small increments.

When you choose not to spiral or “crash out”

When you regulate instead of react

When you allow calm without searching for what’s wrong

When you rest without guilt

-And no, it’s not laziness. It’s nervous system healing.

The goal isn’t to become someone who never feels fear. The goal is to become someone who can feel fear and still choose from a place of clarity. From steadiness. From self-trust.

You don’t need to fix yourself. You need safety.

And safety begins inside.

I’m Back with Truth

I paused-

I didn’t disappear.

I didn’t lose momentum.

I didn’t fall behind.

I paused because I was listening.

Hey Boo!

The recent season that I experienced required more of me than I felt I was prepared for. It was a season where my body asked for gentleness, where my nervous system needed safety more than strategy, and my inner world mattered more than accomplishments and output. So, I did what I’d advise a friend or a client to do- I chose myself. Quietly, consistently. Without explaining.

During that time, I started sharing a series on my platform- Something For Me.

Pilates. Coloring. Slowing down. Ordinary acts of care that didn’t need to be dressed up or explained. They were small, grounding choices that helped me come back to myself- and back into truth.

And that truth is this:

Healing doesn’t mean stopping your life. It just changes how you move through it.

I used to believe that growth required pressure-that I needed to push, fix, or harden myself to move forward. But what I learned in the quiet is that self-compassion isn’t indulgence. It’s responsibility. It is mandated. It’s what allows growth to last.

This new season, this new chapter in my life isn’t about proving anything to anyone. It’s about trusting myself.

Trusting my pace. Trusting my intuition in places where I used to doubt it or ignore it. Trusting that softness can be strong, boundaries can be loving, and progress doesn’t have to cost me my well-being. I’m moving forward now- but not by abandoning myself like I once did. I’m moving with myself. In complete love and full alignment.

Glow with Mimi has always been about coming home to who you are beneath the noise, the pressure, the expectations. This season just asked me to live that truth before teaching it again.

So, if you’re here- whether you’ve been resting, recalibrating, or quietly choosing yourself too- please know this:

You’re not behind Boo. You’re integrating while elevating. And you’re allowed to move forward gently and at your own pace.

I’m back with truth. And I’m letting it lead.

If this resonated with you, stay connected. This new chapter is rooted in self-trust, embodied care, and creating a life that feels safe to live wholly and completely.

We’re not rushing. We’re glowing- honestly and authentically.

Til next time Boo…keep Glowing.

When The Light Feels Far Away: What My Latest Battle With Depression Taught Me

Hey Boo.

There are seasons in life when the light feels unbearably far away. Not gone…just distant. And even though you know you’ve survived things before, there’s a particular kind of ache that comes with feeling stagnant, inadequate, or like life is moving without you.

Recently, I found myself back in that place.

Not the dramatic, cinematic kind of darkness.

The quiet kind.

The kind that creeps in slowly- a heaviness, a numbness, a persistent whisper that says, “You should be doing more by now.”

I tried to push through it like I usually do. I tried to “bounce back” to motivate myself, to force clarity. But depression doesn’t respond to pressure. It responds to honesty.

And when I finally got honest, I realized something:

I wasn’t broken – I was overwhelmed.

I wasn’t inadequate – I was depleted.

I wasn’t stagnant – I just needed stillness.

Sometimes your soul hits pause before your mind even understands why.

The Inadequacy Loop No One Talks About

When you’re struggling with depression, you slip into what I call the inadequacy loop:

“I should be further by now.”

“Everyone else is moving forward.”

“Why can’t I just get it together?”

“What’s wrong with me?”

You start to measure your worth by your productivity, your clarity, your consistency- all things that naturally dip when you’re healing.

But here’s the truth I had to relearn:

You are not meant to outperform your humanity.

Feeling low doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Slowing down doesn’t mean you’re falling behind. And needing rest doesn’t mean you’re weak- it means you’re alive.

The Moment I Realized I Was Coming Back Online

It didn’t happen with fireworks.

It didn’t happen in a big “I’m healed!” moment.

It happened the day I felt the tiniest spark of curiosity again. Not joy, not motivation, just curiosity. A small desire to try, to move, to breathe. To meet myself where I was instead of where I “should” be.

That’s when I remembered-

Healing is not a leap- it’s a series of returns. A return to your breath. A return to small routines. A return to giving yourself grace. A return to seeing yourself with softer eyes. Every tiny spark counts- even if no one else sees it.

What This Season Taught Me

Here is what I want you to know, especially if you’re in that quiet, dark place right now:

You are not inadequate- you are overwhelmed. Your mind is tired, not broken.
You are not stagnant- you are incubating. Some seasons look like nothing on the outside, but everything is shifting within.
You don’t have to “feel like yourself” to be deserving of care. You are worthy of gentleness even on your worst days.
This season is not the end of your story. It is a passage- a slow, tender one- but a passage nonetheless.

If You’re Here Too… You’re Not Alone

I know how heavy this feels. I know how personal it gets. And I know how easy it is to believe the lie that you’re behind or you’re not enough. But your glow isn’t gone, love. It’s resting. Recalibrating. Gathering itself for the next chapter.

And when the light feels far away, that’s when you learn to build your own- breath by breath, choice by choice by choice, thought by thought, day by day. You are allowed to heal at your pace. You’re allowed to start again gently. You’re allowed to take up space even in your lowest moments.

I’m right here with you.

And I promise – there is a version of you on the other side of this who is so glad you didn’t give up.

Until Next Time Boo…Keep Glowing.

How to Stop Seeking Validation and Start Valuing Yourself

Hey Boo!

There’s something quietly powerful about choosing yourself- not out of ego, but out of remembrance. For so long, many of us were taught to earn love by being agreeable, accommodating, or endlessly understanding. We learned to shrink to fit. But eventually, that constant bending leaves us disconnected from our own reflection.

Lately, as I prepare to open my heart again- to date, to love, to be seen- I’ve realized how essential it is to return to myself first. Not to prove that I’m healed, but to remember that my worth was never broken to begin with.

The Trap of Seeking Validation

Validation isn’t always obvious

Sometimes it’s the small things- checking your phone to see if they texted back, overexplaining to avoid being misunderstood, or agreeing when your heart quietly says no. It’s the part of us that asks, “Am I enough?” and waits for someone else to answer.

But the truth is, external validation is nothing more than a quick fix for the ego. It gives a brief rush of worthiness before it fades, leaving us hungry again. Real nourishment comes from within- from learning to validate your own emotions, choices, and needs before anyone else does.

Reclaiming Your Worth

When you start valuing yourself, the entire energy of your world shifts.

You speak differently.

You walk differently.

You choose differently.

You stop chasing closure and start protecting your peace. You stop performing for love and start standing in your truth. And the more you honor your worth, the more life- and love – rises to meet it.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

Saying no without guilt.

Walking away from connections that require you to shrink.

Celebrating your progress even when no one else notices.

Taking time to rest, recharge, and realign before you re-engage.

Every act of self-respect reinforces your worth like a sacred affirmation.

Love, But From Wholeness

As I step back into dating, I’ve made a quiet promise to myself. I will no longer look for someone to make me feel chosen- I already am. I will not wait for validation- I radiate it from within. And I will remember that love is meant to add to my glow, not define it.

When you show up knowing your value, you magnetize people who see you clearly. You no longer chase energy- you attract your energetic match. You no longer beg to be understood- you speak your truth and trust it will land where it’s meant to.

A Gentle Reminder

You are not hard to love- you were just taught to love others more than yourself. You are not behind; you’re right on time for your own becoming. And you are not too much- you’re exactly enough for the version of love that’s ready for you now. So, before you reach for someone else’s approval, place your hand on your heart and whisper-

“I remember who I am. And that is enough.”

Want to go deeper? Each week I share exclusive journaling prompts with my subscribers- gentle guidance to help you put these insights into practice and reset your mindset in real time. Subscribe to the Inner Glow Blog and give yourself the gift of reflection, clarity, and calm.

Until next time Boo, keep Glowing…