Welcome back to Elevenses! Today is a reminder that you matter.
Last year, I went to the hospital to get my heart checked. Throughout the day, I was getting flutters in my chest, and my watch beeped at me to tell me my heart had exceeded 100 beats per minute, all just from sitting in my chair.
When the results came back, the doctors said my heart was fine, just a few moments of elevated activity due to stress. Physically, nothing was wrong.
Due to stress? It was then it hit me: my body wasn’t broken, it was activated. I’d been brushing off all the signals that I was stressed and needed to pause. To take a breath, stretch, or just step away for a bit.
When the fuel light comes on and tells you it’s low on energy, you go and fill it up. It doesn’t matter if it interrupts your day, because you’ve got to get to work and pick the kids up later, too. We respond to everything like answering the call, replying to the email, sorting the groceries at lightning speed.
But when our nervous system is activated, when the thoughts are spinning - how often do we actually pause and regulate ourselves?
Our attention is being taken by everything else around us, that it’s difficult to take a minute and think: what is it I might need in this moment?
We service our cars once a year to ensure they run smoothly and keep us safe. If a pipe in the house starts to leak, we call someone in before it bursts.
But how often do we check in to make sure we’re not about to burst?
Not often enough. We carry on, pushing through stress, headaches, aches and pains - wondering why we feel so low and unwell. That’s where mental maintenance comes in.
Just like your car or household, your mind deserves regular care - not just once per year when everything feels like it’s falling apart - we want to experience balance between the messy and the good stuff - happiness, joy, excitement, all waiting to bloom alongside the balance of that ‘lifey’ stuff.
I mentioned happiness just now - not because it’s the only emotion we should aim for, but because most of us want to feel it more often. But, happiness doesn’t show up without the full emotional range.
We need those ugly cries, the red cheeks, the moments where everything feels just too much - to truly work through the ones weighing us down. Feeling it all is necessary to be able to move through the ‘messy stuff’ that is seriously hard to navigate if we are constantly trying to put on a brave face, and see it through alone.
Being human is complex. We’re navigating fear, joy, grief, connection, anxiety, and constant change - in our bodies, minds, and relationships. That’s why regular maintenance matters. Not just to reach happiness, but that feeling of contentment.
Your car may need a service once a year, but your mind? It needs more than that - it needs presence, support, and space to just be.
Sometimes we don’t realise how much we’re carrying until we pause. Regular reflection - through journaling, stillness, or simply taking five conscious breaths and stepping outside helps bring those hidden stressors into the light. It’s not always about finding answers, but about noticing what’s there.
Journaling is great — but true self-awareness goes beyond the page. It’s about checking in with yourself in real time:
How am I feeling right now?
Am I pushing this emotion aside or holding it quietly?
When do I feel most like myself? How would it feel to let that emotion out, even just a little?
This kind of moment-to-moment awareness is the foundation for long-term emotional health.
Therapy and counselling aren’t just for when everything feels like it’s falling apart — they’re part of emotional maintenance.
Whether it’s a therapist, a community group, or a friend who gets it, having space to be heard and seen is powerful. You don’t need to go it alone.
Start building micromoments into your day that are just for you. Those mini rituals that feel like you again.
A yawn and a stretch away from the desk
A cuppa from your local cafe, or even a sachet or pod, not just the instant speedy one
Lighting a candle and journaling for 5 minutes
Calling a loved one to say hi
Sorting out that thing you’ve been holding off (the massage, physio, the gym class, the outing with your friends, family or partner)
If you liked this article, feel free to share it with a friend. Let them know you are thinking about them and that their mind matters.
Keeping selfcare and wellbeing top of mind, and hopeful for the days to come.
Listen: Bitesize | The Power of Mindset: How Your Thoughts Transform Your Physical Health
Reflect: When was the last time I truly invested in myself? What could that look like if I did one small thing today for me?
Do: create one small ritual for you before bed tonight. Light a candle, do a mindful breathing exercise, listen or read something that helps you feel calm and notice how that feels.
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