How to find your center when everything starts to feel off balance
If you’ve ever found yourself running on empty even when everything seems to be going well, this one’s for you.
Over the last two weeks, I found myself in a bit of a funk.
The critical voice in my head was growing louder than usual.
And it started pointing at everything that wasn’t working.
It started small.
“This could be better.”
“That’s not moving fast enough.”
“Why isn’t this clicking yet?”
And before I knew it, that voice had taken over the room.
My Whoop wasn’t helping either. Even after a full night’s sleep, my recovery scores were low. My body felt heavy, my mind cluttered. I woke up tired, not clear.
When that happens, I know I’ve drifted from my center.
I start becoming more reactive, more restless, more judgmental.
And when judgment creeps in, everything starts to look half empty instead of half full.
I began noticing it everywhere — in meetings, small frustrations, even while playing Padel. I wasn’t just trying to improve my game. I was measuring every shot. Every miss felt personal.
Then one morning, it hit me.
I wasn’t seeing things as they were. I was seeing them through fatigue.
So I decided to stop.
To consciously hit pause.
For me, that means entering a new season — a season of unlearning.
Unlearning the habit of judgment.
Unlearning the need to always fix, optimize, or move faster.
Unlearning the belief that rest needs to be earned.
It starts with letting go. Letting go of the voice that says I should be further ahead by now. Letting go of the pressure to perform, even when no one’s watching.
Then shifting my focus.
From what’s not working to what is.
From what’s missing to what’s growing.
From what’s broken to what’s beautiful.
It’s also meant listening to my body again. Giving myself permission to alter my weekly rhythms without guilt. Sleeping in an extra hour if I need to. Taking a midweek day off to do nothing. Moving at the speed my energy allows, not the speed my ambition demands.
I’m writing this while still processing all of it. I don’t have it figured out. I’m still a work in progress.
But I’m sharing this to give you permission too.
If you’ve been feeling tired, critical, or restless, maybe it’s not because you’re doing something wrong. Maybe it’s because you’ve been doing too much for too long without refilling your cup.
Sometimes the bravest thing you can do isn’t to push through.
It’s to stop.
To reflect.
To renew.
And to remind yourself that slowing down isn’t falling behind. It’s finding your way back.
