Fika Mental Health

If you’ve ever felt instantly calmer just by organizing your morning, following the same skincare steps, or eating the same breakfast every day, there’s a reason for that. Your nervous system loves  routines. Not because they make you “productive.”Not because they keep you “disciplined.”But because they help your body feel safe . And when life feels messy, unpredictable, or overwhelming? Routines become one of the quietest, most powerful ways to support yourself. Let’s talk a

Healing doesn’t always feel like “becoming your best self.”Sometimes it feels like confusion. Sometimes it feels like grief. Sometimes it feels like you’re losing parts of yourself you didn’t even realize you were attached to. And nobody really talks about that part. There’s this cultural idea that healing is a glow-up—journals, iced coffees, morning routines, and suddenly everything falls into place. But real healing?The kind that impacts your relationships, self-worth, nerv

There are seasons of life where everything slows down—not by choice, but by circumstance. The job search stalls. The relationship feels unclear. Your energy dips. Your motivation disappears. Your plans fall into “waiting mode.” It’s the in-between season. The pause. And if you're someone who’s used to pushing, performing, or staying busy to feel grounded? These pauses can feel terrifying. But here’s the truth: Paused seasons are not failures. They’re transitions your nervous

Have you ever caught yourself sending a paragraph when a sentence would’ve been enough? “Sorry, I just mean…” “What I was trying to say was…” “Just to clarify—” “I hope that didn’t sound weird…” By the time you hit send, you’ve rewritten the message three times, apologized twice, and added a buffer emoji for safety. If this is you, please hear this: You’re not dramatic. You’re not needy. You’re not “too much.” Over-explaining is a nervous system response, not a personality fl

If you live with a chronic illness, you’ve probably felt this strange emotional tug-of-war: some days your symptoms make perfect sense, and other days they flare for “no reason.” A bad night of sleep, a stressful week, or even a seemingly harmless comment from someone can send your whole body into chaos. And maybe you’ve wondered: “Is this just in my head?” “Why does stress affect me so much?” “Why does my body feel like it’s always bracing for something?” You’re not imaginin

Gratitude lists are everywhere — on Pinterest boards, in therapy workbooks, on TikTok night routines. And while they can be supportive sometimes , there’s a reason they fall completely flat when you’re overwhelmed, anxious, or shut down. If you’ve ever opened your journal, tried to write “3 things I’m grateful for,” and felt absolutely nothing…or worse, felt guilty that you can’t  feel grateful… You’re not doing anything wrong. You’re not unappreciative. You’re not “negative.

Emotional flashbacks are one of those experiences that feel impossible to explain to someone who’s never had one. There’s no dramatic movie scene, no obvious trigger, no visible “event.” But inside? Your chest tightens. Your stomach drops. Your brain moves a thousand miles a minute. You’re suddenly small again, or unsafe, or overwhelmed — and you don’t know why. If you’ve ever thought, “Why am I reacting like this? Nothing even happened,”  you’re not alone. Emotional flashbac

Have you ever opened your phone, closed it, and then—without even thinking—opened it again a few seconds later? No notification. No message. No reason.Just a quiet, automatic pull. If this feels a little too familiar, you’re not alone. So many of us live in this loop, especially if we’re carrying stress, uncertainty, or that constant sense of “I should be doing more.” And while it’s easy to shame yourself for it, this habit actually has a story. A very human one. The Nervous

There are moments when healing feels out of reach — when you’re so tired of trying that even hope feels heavy. You might think, what’s the point? I’ve done the therapy, the journaling, the self-work… and I still feel broken. If this sounds familiar, please know this: you’re not broken. You’re human. And everything you’re feeling is a sign that your body and mind have been doing their best to survive. The Myth of Being “Too Broken” When you’ve lived through trauma, loss, or lo

Even the word conflict  can make your chest tighten. Maybe your voice shakes, your heart races, or you find yourself saying “it’s fine” just to end the conversation. Later, you replay it all in your head, frustrated that you couldn’t express yourself. If you struggle to handle conflict — especially when it feels emotionally charged — you’re not weak or overly sensitive. You might just be carrying a nervous system that learned that disagreement = danger. How Trauma Shapes Your

You wake up from a dream about someone you haven’t seen in years — or maybe a place that doesn’t even exist anymore — and it lingers. It’s confusing. Why does your mind keep going back there? You’ve moved on, right? If you keep dreaming about the past, it’s not random — and it doesn’t mean you’re stuck. It might mean that your nervous system is still trying to process something your conscious mind has already filed away. Dreams as Emotional Processing Dreams aren’t just stori

You finally have time to start that project you’ve been dreaming about—the course, the portfolio, the application—but instead, you find yourself cleaning your kitchen, scrolling, or reorganizing your entire desktop. You want  to do it. You care  about it. And yet… you can’t make yourself start. Sound familiar? You’re not lazy or unmotivated. You’re probably scared . When Procrastination Isn’t About Laziness We tend to think procrastination means a lack of discipline—but for m

You know that feeling after a night of barely any sleep—everything feels heavier, you’re more reactive, and even small things feel like too much? It’s not “just tiredness.” Sleep is deeply connected to how we regulate emotions, process stress, and even recover from trauma. If you’ve been struggling to sleep, or noticing that emotional healing feels harder lately, it’s not a coincidence. Your brain and body are doing important repair work while you rest. Why Sleep Isn’t Just “

You know that moment when everything feels like too much—but instead of reaching out, you tell yourself “I’ll figure it out” ? You push through, hold it together, and pretend you’re fine… until you’re not. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many of us—especially women and people raised to be “the strong one”—struggle deeply with asking for help. But it’s not because we don’t need it . It’s because somewhere along the way, our nervous system learned that needing help w

We all have those days—where your brain feels foggy, your body feels heavy, and even the smallest task (like replying to a text or unloading the dishwasher) feels impossible. You might call it “burnout” or “laziness,” but what you’re likely experiencing is a shutdown . If you’ve ever thought, “Why can’t I just push through like everyone else?” —you’re not broken. Your body is trying to protect you. What a “Shutdown Day” Actually Is Shutdowns are not random. They’re part of yo

You tell yourself to relax. To go with the flow. To stop overthinking every outcome.But your body doesn’t get the memo. The moment something unexpected happens, your chest tightens, your thoughts speed up, and you start scanning for what could go wrong. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Control isn’t always about being bossy or rigid—it’s often your nervous system’s way of feeling safe after unpredictability or chaos. Control as a Safety Strategy If you grew up in an environm

You sit down, close your eyes, and within seconds your brain is running wild: grocery lists, old conversations, worries about tomorrow. Then comes the frustration: Why can’t I just be present? If meditation feels impossible, it’s not because you’re doing it wrong—it’s because your nervous system might not feel safe enough to slow down yet. For many people, especially those healing from trauma or high stress, stillness can feel threatening. The body interprets quiet moments as

You’re journaling, meditating, doing yoga, reading self-help books, maybe even listening to five podcasts a week about personal growth. You’re doing the work —but still, something feels off. You might wonder: Why am I still anxious? Why do I feel like I’m never “healed enough”? For many people—especially women in their 20s to 40s—healing can subtly become a new version of perfectionism. The more we focus on “fixing” ourselves, the more we reinforce the belief that we’re broke

You’ve cleared your schedule, lit a candle, maybe even told yourself, “I just need to relax.” But instead of feeling calm, your chest tightens. Your mind races. You suddenly feel the urge to check your phone, clean something, or start a new project. If stillness makes you uncomfortable, it’s not because you “don’t know how to rest.” It’s because your nervous system has learned that chaos = safety . When life has taught you that calm moments were the ones before something bad

You meet someone new — they’re kind, polite, and haven’t done a single thing wrong.But something about them makes your chest tighten or your stomach drop. You might find yourself overanalyzing their tone, avoiding them altogether, or feeling guilty for being “irrational.”The truth? You’re not overreacting — your nervous system is reacting to familiarity. Your Body Remembers What Your Mind Forgets Emotional triggers aren’t random. They’re reminders — often of past experiences