when life knocks the wind out of you

welcome back to sunday goods!

there are weeks that move smoothly, where everything feels aligned & you’re proud of the balance you’ve found.

& then there are weeks that seem to pull the rug out from under you.

not in one dramatic life-changing way, but in subtle, sneaky ways that leave you questioning yourself, your emotions, & your place in the world.

this past week felt like one of those times for me.

my emotions were unpredictable, my self-esteem was low, & I felt overly sensitive to everything.

it’s wild how quickly insecurity can shift your reality, how it can make you see everything through a distorted lens.

suddenly, small moments feel heavier, words sting deeper, & even the people you love most start to feel far away.

I spent a few days trapped in my own head, anxious, self-conscious, & unsure why everything felt so off.

I didn’t recognize myself, & that made me feel even worse.

I tried to keep pushing through, but it only left me more drained.

so I stopped.

I took a day to just breathe, reset, & let myself feel everything I’d been trying to outrun.

I stayed home, made myself something to eat, sat in silence for a bit, cried a little, & then decided to get dressed in something that made me feel good, not because I was going anywhere special, but because I wanted to remind myself that I’m still worthy of care, even when I don’t feel like my best self.

I went to the park, ate lunch under the sun, & just existed for a while.

no phone, no distractions, no expectations, just fresh air & my own company.

it wasn’t some magical “aha” moment where everything suddenly clicked back into place, but it was real.

& real was enough.

what I’ve been learning is that self care isn’t always pretty or perfectly timed.

it’s not always a skincare routine or a workout or journaling at sunrise.

sometimes it’s just showing up for yourself in the middle of chaos, choosing to nurture yourself when you don’t feel like you deserve it.

we don’t talk enough about the in-between moments, the ones where you’re not at rock bottom, but you’re definitely not okay either.

the moments where you’re holding it together in public but unravelling in private.

those are the moments that shape you quietly.

they teach you patience, grace, & how to sit with discomfort without letting it define you.

if you’ve been in that space lately, where you feel like you’re failing, or you’ve lost your spark, or you just can’t seem to find your rhythm, I hope you give yourself permission to slow down.

you’re not behind.

you’re not broken.

you’re just recalibrating.

life has this way of forcing us to pause so we can realign with what actually matters.

& maybe the hard moments aren’t setbacks at all, but reminders to come home to ourselves: to reconnect, rebuild, & remember that we are still growing, even in the quiet, messy in-between.

so if this week has knocked the wind out of you, take a deep breath.

sit with yourself.

be gentle.

the light always finds its way back in, but sometimes, it needs a little stillness to do so.

love you always,

elle