The Anxiety Break

The Anxiety Break Anxiety is a beast, let’s tame it!

I know this is heavy. I know it’s a lot.And I also know you can handle it.Not perfectly. Not without emotion.But you can...
06/17/2025

I know this is heavy. I know it’s a lot.

And I also know you can handle it.
Not perfectly. Not without emotion.
But you can meet this moment without abandoning yourself.

You don’t have to have it all figured out.
You don’t need to feel brave every second.
You just need to stay with yourself.
One breath, one step, one choice at a time.

That’s more than enough.

💜
Michelle

Not everything nourishing has to be productive.Not everything soul-healing has to be seen.Sometimes it’s letting yoursel...
06/12/2025

Not everything nourishing has to be productive.
Not everything soul-healing has to be seen.

Sometimes it’s letting yourself rest.
Sometimes it’s texting the person who gets it.
Sometimes it’s burning the old story and starting again.

There’s no perfect formula.
Just the quiet noticing:
What actually feeds you today?

So I’ll ask it again:

How are you nourishing your soul today?
Not to fix. Not to prove.
Just to come home to yourself.

💜
Michelle

Ever find yourself rehearsing every word before you walk into a room… or avoiding eye contact so no one “notices” you?Th...
06/11/2025

Ever find yourself rehearsing every word before you walk into a room… or avoiding eye contact so no one “notices” you?
That’s not weakness. That’s your nervous system trying to keep you safe.

But here’s the trap:
The more we rely on these safety behaviors—like checking our phone, staying quiet, or avoiding sweat—the more our brain learns:
“That was close. You barely made it through. Let’s not do that again.”

💡 Example:
You walk into a group setting and immediately feel the heat rise in your body.
You look down, cross your arms, and rehearse what to say—trying not to draw attention.
No one approaches.
You leave feeling awkward and assume they didn’t like you.
But what if they didn’t approach because you looked unavailable?
Not because you’re unlikable.
That moment wasn’t proof of your fear—it was shaped by your protection strategy.

The cycle of social anxiety reinforces itself… but it can be unlearned.
Not by fighting the fear, but by dropping the armor and choosing connection over protection—one moment at a time.

💜
Michelle















Olive girl is staring at the doggie door.She’s done this before—plenty of times.But this one feels different. There’s re...
06/10/2025

Olive girl is staring at the doggie door.
She’s done this before—plenty of times.
But this one feels different. There’s resistance. Tension. A little more “what if?”

Meanwhile, her younger sibling is sailing through like it’s nothing.

And that’s okay. Olive doesn’t need pressure or pity.
She needs supportive statements that reflect two truths:
✨ This is hard.
✨ She can handle it.

Drop your best SPACE-style statements below—ones that validate her feelings while trusting her to lead.

Think:
✔ “It makes sense that this door feels tricky.”
✔ “You don’t have to rush—just keep noticing what’s possible.”
✔ “I know it feels uncomfortable, and I believe you can figure it out.”
✔ “You’ve done hard things before, and I’ll be here while you do this one too.”
✔ “I trust you to move when you’re ready.”

We’re not here to push. We’re here to reflect calm, grounded belief.

💜
Michelle

What does it actually mean to respect autonomy?It’s not about letting someone suffer.It’s about honoring that their choi...
06/04/2025

What does it actually mean to respect autonomy?

It’s not about letting someone suffer.
It’s about honoring that their choices are still theirs—even when we’re scared.

And sometimes? That’s really fu***ng hard.
Because we just want them to drink the water.
But maybe they don’t want still water.
Maybe they want bubbly water.
Maybe they’re not even thirsty yet.
And that’s not ours to fix.

When we lead with control, we often lose connection.
When we lead with respect, we create the safety that change requires.

Respecting autonomy doesn’t mean backing away.
It means knowing how to stay close without gripping tighter.

Invite, don’t force.
Offer, don’t demand.
Hold boundaries without stripping agency.

Because dignity matters—even when the path looks messy, slow, or different than ours.

💜
Michelle

Watching someone you love struggle and not take steps toward help can feel unbearable. You want to shake them, save them...
06/03/2025

Watching someone you love struggle and not take steps toward help can feel unbearable. You want to shake them, save them, do something.

But when we lead with fear, we often push too hard, plead too much, or protect in ways that accidentally reinforce avoidance.

It’s not about convincing them.
It’s about calming the fear—yours and theirs.

Healing becomes possible when the environment feels safe, not pressured. When we shift from control to compassion, we stop blocking the very motivation we’re hoping to ignite.

Let’s build the bridge, not barricade the door.

💜Michelle

You’re not broken for feeling guilt where others feel ease.You’re not “too sensitive” for needing to rehash every conver...
06/02/2025

You’re not broken for feeling guilt where others feel ease.

You’re not “too sensitive” for needing to rehash every conversation.

And you’re not actually good because you’re suffering. You’re just stuck in the OCD loop.

Moral scrupulosity can sound like humility, kindness, self-sacrifice. But underneath, it’s driven by fear, not values.

Let’s call it what it is: compulsion disguised as character.

💜
Michelle















Pride was never just a celebration.It’s always been a declaration, of existence, of resistance, of love in the face of f...
06/01/2025

Pride was never just a celebration.
It’s always been a declaration, of existence, of resistance, of love in the face of fear.

And I know…
This year, the fear is louder.
The threats feel more real.
And for many, authenticity feels risky.

As a therapist, I see how fear tries to convince people to shrink, to stay small, stay safe, stay silent.
But living authentically has always been an act of courage.
It’s also how we build safety. Not just for ourselves, but for each other.

So if you’re feeling anxious, unsure, or weary—you’re not alone.
And you’re still invited.
To be real.
To be loud or quiet.
To show up exactly as you are.

Because the point of Pride isn’t perfection.
It’s collective authenticity, and the radical act of standing beside each other in truth.

💜
Michelle














OCD and anxiety love to scream at you like everything is an emergency.But here’s the truth:Urgency is a feeling, not a f...
06/01/2025

OCD and anxiety love to scream at you like everything is an emergency.

But here’s the truth:
Urgency is a feeling, not a fact.
And you don’t have to treat it like a fire drill every time it shows up.

It’s not avoidance to pause.
It’s not weakness to breathe.
And it’s not giving up to choose not to obey your fear.

It’s courage.
It’s healing.
It’s choosing your life over your anxiety.

💜
Michelle

Sometimes families and providers are told to wait.“Until they’re ready.”“Until they want it.”But here’s the truth:Motiva...
06/01/2025

Sometimes families and providers are told to wait.
“Until they’re ready.”
“Until they want it.”
But here’s the truth:
Motivation isn’t a fixed trait—it’s something we cultivate.

Whether you’re a parent, therapist, or coach—
You have more influence than you think.

When we treat ambivalence with curiosity instead of control—
When we focus on capacity instead of compliance—
When we align with values instead of just outcomes—
We make it easier for someone to say yes to treatment.

And yes—sometimes people pause.
That doesn’t mean they’re hopeless.
It might just mean the approach wasn’t the right fit—yet.
A break can protect hope and allow for a better restart.
We don’t teach that treatment won’t work.
We teach that healing deserves the right conditions to take root.

🛑 You don’t have to force it.
🌬️ Just clear the air.
🔥 And give the flame room to grow.

—

💾 Save this for when motivation feels miles away.
💌 Tag someone who’s helping someone hold on to hope.

💜
Michelle

You might not hear OCD say,“Wash your hands or you’ll get sick.”You might hear:👉 “You can’t relax until everything’s per...
05/30/2025

You might not hear OCD say,
“Wash your hands or you’ll get sick.”

You might hear:
👉 “You can’t relax until everything’s perfect.”
👉 “You’re a bad person if you enjoyed that.”
👉 “What if that thing you said hurt someone?”

OCD doesn’t always show up as fear.
Sometimes, it shows up as guilt, shame, or a crushing pressure to “be good.”

It hides inside your values.
It weaponizes your kindness.
It tells you that the only way to be safe is to suffer.

That’s not your intuition.
That’s a cycle.

✨ You’re allowed to rest.
✨ You’re allowed to be human.
✨ You’re allowed to feel good without earning it.

Let’s call OCD out—so you can reclaim your life.

💜
Michelle


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Kalispell, MT

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Monday 11am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm

Website

http://Theanxietybreak.com/

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