“Staying Ready” Is Not a Flex—It’s a Trauma Response

For so long, I thought “staying ready so I didn’t have to get ready” was a badge of honor. I prided myself on anticipating everything—hyper-aware, hyper-responsible, hyper-independent. But here’s what I’ve come to realize: that wasn’t readiness. That was survival. I wasn’t grounded—I was bracing. And under all that control was a nervous system stuck in overdrive.

If you don’t know me, I’m currently earning my PhD in psychology with a focus on trauma and how it can cloud or even disconnect children from their innate spiritual gifts. This work is deeply personal. I experienced emotional abuse growing up, and in my early adulthood, I couldn’t figure out why I felt like I was drowning in my own emotions.

I remember calling into work because I had the “weepies”—days where I couldn’t stop crying, couldn’t hold it together, and felt like I didn’t belong anywhere. I was spiraling in my relationships, struggling to regulate, and eventually reached a point where I questioned if I even wanted to keep going. When I finally sought help, a quick visit to a primary care doctor led to a haphazard diagnosis of bipolar disorder and a prescription that numbed me out of my own life.

I wasn’t bipolar—I was emotionally dysregulated and spiritually disconnected. That numbness wasn’t relief; it was disassociation. My gifts—my intuition, my sensitivity, my awareness—felt muted. I couldn’t feel the pain anymore, but I couldn’t feel anything else either.

What I didn’t know at the time was that the small, intuitive choices I began to make were slowly rewiring my brain and my life. I started nourishing myself differently. Yes, gut health matters—our microbiome communicates directly with our brain, influencing mood, cognition, and emotion. I started practicing yoga, and research supports what I discovered for myself: movement, especially yoga, activates the parasympathetic nervous system and helps release trauma stored in the body. (Sri Aurobindo’s teachings also emphasize the union of body, mind, and spirit as essential to holistic healing.)

I began speaking to myself with compassion through affirmations. At first, it felt awkward, but it taught me to recognize when I was slipping into spirals and gently pull myself back. Your mind can’t stay stuck in lack if your focus is attuned to gratitude.

Here are a few affirmations that supported me:

• I am safe in my body, here and now.

• I trust myself more each day.

• My nervous system is learning safety, one breath at a time.

• I honor the pace of my healing.

• I release the need to be perfect to be loved.

• I forgive myself for the ways I coped when I didn’t know better.

• My body is not the enemy—it is a witness and a guide.

• Healing is not linear, but I am always moving forward.

• Each day, I rewrite my story with love.

• It is safe to feel joy again.

  
  
  
  

  

  Feel free to screenshot and save this affirmation poster—keep it close for the days you need a little extra love and grounding.

Rewiring your brain after trauma doesn’t happen overnight. It takes consistent, compassionate effort—what I call emotional maintenance. Some days, I still catch myself slipping, but I now have the awareness and tools to return to center. That’s the difference: I’m not trapped anymore.

If you’re on this journey, please know this—it’s not about fixing yourself. It’s about coming home to yourself. And it is possible.

Want more support? You can grab my Self Love Advocate Workbook—a transformative tool filled with self-reflective exercises, affirmations, and strategies for healing. It’s a beautiful companion for those who are ready to reclaim their power and deepen their self-love practice. Or check out my Trauma Informed Co-Creation class where we explore how trauma impacts the manifestation and co-creation process.

With love and so much compassion,

Drew