why safety comes before change part III
Small Acts That Signal Safety
Safety doesn’t always come from big gestures or hours of self-care.
It’s built in micro-moments — the quiet, repeated cues that remind your body you’re allowed to slow down.
Here are three gentle ways to create that foundation this week:
Pace before push.
Before diving into a task or conversation, take 60 seconds to notice your breath and unclench your jaw. This small pause tells your body it’s not in danger — you can proceed with awareness instead of urgency.Ground in routine.
Choose one simple ritual to repeat each day — the same tea in the morning, the same five-minute walk after lunch, the same playlist at the end of work. Predictability communicates safety to your nervous system.Co-regulate when you can.
Safety isn’t always a solo practice. Let yourself feel calm near people who are steady — a friend, a partner, a pet. Borrow their calm until your own comes back online.
These are not “fixes.” They’re cues — gentle reminders that you don’t need to earn rest or clarity. You can begin from where you are.
mindful reflection:
“Where am I trying to push through when my body might just need a pause?”
Write or notice what comes up without judgment. Sometimes the smallest insight (“I need more quiet,” “I’m tired of multitasking,” “I miss sunlight”) becomes the doorway back to safety.
Closing: Safety Is the Starting Line
As the year winds down, you don’t have to sprint toward self-improvement.
You can end the year by returning to regulation — by letting your body know that change can feel steady, kind, and sustainable.
Next week, I’ll be sharing something new to help you practice this — a resource designed to help you notice, map, and gently shift your nervous-system states so change feels possible again.
Because real growth doesn’t start with a resolution.
It starts with safety.
