Are you Practicing? Or just Replaying it?
Have you ever made the same mistake and thought, “Well, here we go again”?
I did, every morning this week I woke up "late", even though I don't set an alarm and follow my sleep cycles. This one is minor, but stay with me, because it BUILDS.
The same reaction. The same conversation. The same promise to yourself that this time you’ll do it differently.
It’s tempting to call that a pattern you’re stuck in.
But repeating a mistake doesn’t mean the rest of the story has to repeat too.
DID you notice it sooner? Pause for one breath? Say what you actually mean? Ask for help? Rest before you’re completely empty?
The change might be small enough that nobody else sees it yet. It still counts.
Repetition is how we grow a skill.
The replaying of that story you're broken? THAT is Rumination.
Rumination is how we exhaust ourselves rehearsing a problem.
The difference isn’t always obvious. Spend an entire afternoon thinking about what happened, what you should have said, what might happen next, and how to make sure it never happens again.
Your body is sitting still, but your mind has run six marathons and argued with three people who aren’t even in the room. NO WONDER you're tired and hurting.
So when you catch yourself going around again, you've already met half the battle.
Try asking:
Is this story helping me practice something I can do—or am I asking it to give me certainty I don’t have? Is it moving the needle or revving in PARK?
If there’s an action to take, take the next small one. If there isn’t, you’re allowed to stop working on it for now.
Our bodies help us practice that pause. Find a little room in a tight space. Breathe there. Move into what’s available TODAY.
You don’t have to force your way through every hard thing to prove you’re growing.
Sometimes clearing out energy looks like a new stretch between appointments (these are my sweet spot) a deeper breath before you check the email, or taking the rest you keep telling yourself you’ll earn later.
Do it again tomorrow. NO quit. That’s focused repetition too.
And leave room for joy while things are hard. Notice the song that lit you up, the person who makes you laugh, the new tone of the color in the sunset and who it reminds you of. Call them. Those moments don’t solve everything. They sure as hell fill the tank to sustain you while you keep going.
A few things for this week:
Listen: How to Find Joy Even When Life Is Hard — a conversation with Diane Shiffer about noticing small moments of joy during difficult seasons.
Read: The Psychology of Mental Exhaustion — for anyone who’s felt worn out after a day spent mostly inside their own head.
Check out this week's Client's Story and see if you relate!
Coming up: I’m bringing the Restore and Unwind fascia workshop back to Spyre on Saturday, November 7.
We’ll make space to move, breathe, and explore what it feels like to soften without forcing. Sign up details coming soon.
You can also follow along on Instagram or book time with me.
Here’s the question I’m taking into this week:
What am I willing to practice again—and what am I ready to stop replaying?
With grit and grace,
Brittany
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