When you've been numb for years, "feeling your feelings" sounds impossible. This is smaller. Steps: 1. Put your hand on your chest 2. Breathe in for 4, out for 6 3. Ask yourself: "What's one word for how I feel right now?" Drop your one word below. No explanation needed.

Most women learned early that saying “no” is dangerous. So instead, we ignore the boundary and pay for it in our bodies later. Journal Prompt: What boundary did you feel this week, and override anyway? What stopped you? What part of you needed protection in that moment? Share only if it feels grounding.

Close your eyes for one slow breath. Scan your body without forcing anything. Look for one place that feels even slightly less tense than the rest, your hands, your breath, your chest, your feet… anywhere. Put your hand there. Let your body register that small shift. You don’t have to do anything else. If it feels safe, you’re welcome to name what you noticed.

Think back over your week. There was likely a moment where you walked over your own need to keep the peace, avoid conflict, or stay “easy.” Self-abandonment is subtle. It shows up in micro-moments. Journal Prompt: Where did you abandon yourself this week, even in a small way? And what did that part of you actually need? Share only if it feels right, not required.

Take a moment and unclench one thing: your jaw, your stomach, your shoulders, your breath. Notice what shifts, even 1%. Then ask gently: “What was I bracing for?” You don’t have to solve the answer. Just let your body tell you the truth. If it feels safe, you’re welcome to name what you noticed.