Last week, I felt it building, the stress of a too-much month coming like a freight train.

April is full, personally and professionally.

So I started carrying my favorite rock.

It sits on my desk, rides in my car, and secretly joins my meetings. It’s a tangible reminder of who I want to be in this kind of season, because this is exactly the kind of season where I’ve lost myself before.

I don’t want to lose myself.

So I hold onto this reminder: ROCK.

Recognize: You’re human. Look at what you’ve already made it through. Small steps count. You can trust your process.

Oxygen: Breathe deeply. Put on a song that steadies you. Step outside. Look at the sky. Pet your cat.

Connect: Call a friend. Write it out. Show up for the dogs at the shelter. Ask for help.

Kick: Kick shame to the curb. You are doing enough. You are enough.

Even one or two of these rituals shifts something. I feel lighter, less overwhelmed, and more connected to myself.

And when all else fails, I think of a sunny June day in 2016, walking around the block with my nephew Sam outside his Indiana home.

We stopped 27 times.

And every time, he asked:

“Aunt Wachel, can you put this wock in your pocket?”

That memory puts everything into perspective.

Life is what matters.

I refuse to lose myself.

My hand in yours,

Rachel