Crashing Out: When Big Feelings Hijack the Wheel (And How to Take Back the Keys)

No, the answer isn’t “just calm down.”

The real strategy? Catch the crash before it peaks. Here’s how:

1. Know Your Warning Signs

Crashing out rarely happens without warning. It might start as:

Snapping at minor things
Feeling hot, restless, or overstimulated
Struggling to focus or filter your thoughts

Notice your early signals. That’s your yellow light—not your failure.

2. Do a Sensory Reset

Step away from the chaos and regulate through your senses:

Cold water on your wrists
A slow walk with music
Crunchy snacks (seriously, try it)
Weighted blanket or pressure input

Get grounded before the emotions take the wheel.

3. Check the Internal Narrator

When you’re dysregulated, your inner critic loves to grab the mic. “This always happens.”
“I’m the worst.”
“No one else loses it like this.”

Pause. Reframe.

Try:

“I’m overwhelmed, not broken. I need care, not criticism.”

4. Circle Back Later

Regulation isn’t always graceful. Sometimes, you crash first... and regroup later. That’s okay.

The repair—the moment when you reflect, apologize, or course-correct—is where the growth is.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

A woman is looking up at the sun in the woods.

When Avoidance Becomes the Default: How to Shift from Reactivity to Intention

By Andrea Hernandez • July 3, 2025

We all have moments when we check out instead of tuning in. Maybe it’s scrolling endlessly, avoiding a hard conversation, saying “yes” when we mean “no,” or jumping from task to task without finishing anything. For many of us—especially those with ADHD, anxiety, trauma histories, or people-pleasing patterns—this isn’t about laziness or lack of willpower. It’s about emotional overload, internal dissonance, and a nervous system doing what it knows to survive: avoid discomfort. But avoidance has a cost. When distraction becomes a default, it quietly pulls us away from our goals, values, and self-trust. We start making decisions reactively—driven by urgency, fear, or emotion—instead of from a grounded, intentional place. Over time, that gap between how we act and who we want to be can leave us feeling disconnected or stuck. Here’s the good news: we don’t have to bulldoze our discomfort or shame ourselves into change. Some of the most powerful shifts begin with something much gentler—a pause.

A man and a woman are having an argument in a kitchen.

12 Signs You’re in an Emotionally Unsafe or Antagonistic Relationship

By Andrea Hernandez • July 1, 2025

When you’re in the middle of a painful or confusing relationship, it can be hard to tell what’s really happening. You might spend more time questioning yourself than the dynamic. You might keep asking: Am I overreacting? Are my expectations too high? Is this just normal conflict? Here’s what I want you to know: emotional safety is not too much to ask for. And if you constantly feel dysregulated, second-guessed, or like you’re walking on eggshells, something isn’t working. This post isn’t meant to diagnose or label your partner—it’s meant to help you get clear on how a dynamic is impacting you. Emotional safety is a non-negotiable in healthy relationships. These 12 signs are meant to help you spot the difference between everyday relationship challenges and patterns that are more damaging.