Rachel Hollis Instagram – I started to experience extreme anxiety when I was about 29. I had no idea how to manage the way I was feeling —let alone heal it— so I reached for things that would numb my anxiety. That looked like binge eating and boxed wine. And the thing is, our coping mechanisms WORK and they work fast… that’s why we keep reaching for them. But almost as soon as mine “worked” I’d be hit with a massive wave of shame. And feeling the shame made me want to numb again. It was a vicious cycle. This is what started my personal development journey. It wasn’t the desire to become better for myself or my children. It wasn’t a dream of having a bigger business or a make a lasting impact. I started personal development because I was drowning and nobody had ever taught me to swim— I’d have to teach myself. I found ideas in the pages of books from the library, in videos on YouTube, in endless google searches. All of it was free. All of it was out there, it just required a lot of digging and sifting and experimenting to see what worked for me. For me, it starts with an area of tension. In the beginning it was anxiety. Over the years it’s been growing my business, raising children, practicing self love and care, emotional health, physical health, owning my mistakes, hormone imbalance… it’s endless. My areas of tension have created forks in my path, following those “roads less traveled” instead of numbing or hiding or bypassing, have allowed me learn and grow and become better. Not perfect, but better. Go slow. Be graceful with yourself. Keep an open mind and an open heart. Understand that ANYONE might be the teacher you need in this season to learn something essential. Read books. Read LOTS of books. Start with one small area of tension. Research ideas for how to help it get better. Try out the ideas. Find one that works. Do that thing consistently. Repeat.