Mindful Perspectives; Crissy Cargill,LCPC

04/13/2026

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.
Confucius

https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/confucius-quotes

04/13/2026

04/02/2026

Walk when:
- you’re having a difficult conversation
- you just got bad news
- you’re with a child who’s having a tantrum or a huge reaction “ok let’s walk together” get them moving
- you’re having therapy (if using telehealth or by phone especially)
- you’re feeling irritable and don’t know why
- you have to give someone bad news
- you wake up groggy
- you have brain fog or feel like your brain is “shut off”
- you want to text something you might regret
- you have to make a big decision
- your brain won’t stop replaying the conversation
- you want to connect with consciousness, god, or the universe
- you want to forgive yourself

04/02/2026

Your brain travels back in time when trauma suddenly awakens

When a deeply emotional memory is triggered, your brain does something extraordinary. Instead of reacting from your present awareness, it can pull you back to the exact emotional state you experienced when the event first happened. This is not imagination or weakness. It is a built in survival system rooted in how the brain stores memory.

The amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for detecting danger, holds onto emotional experiences very strongly. When something reminds it of past trauma, it reacts instantly, often before the thinking part of your brain can step in. This is why a small situation in the present can feel overwhelming, confusing, or even terrifying. Your mind is not responding to now. It is responding to then.

For years, people believed emotional reactions were simply about personality or control. Modern neuroscience shows something different. Trauma can temporarily shift your brain into an earlier version of yourself, where emotions were first shaped. This understanding is changing how therapists approach healing. Instead of telling people to just move on, treatments now focus on safely revisiting and reprocessing those stored memories so the brain can update them.

This discovery is powerful because it gives meaning to reactions that once felt out of control. It also offers hope. The brain is not fixed. With the right support, it can relearn safety and reconnect with the present moment.

What feels like being stuck in the past may actually be your brain trying to protect you. And that means healing is not only possible, it is already part of how your mind works.

03/27/2026

I Learned to Be Alone

03/27/2026

It's time to thrive 🌷💕

03/24/2026

🙌

03/12/2026

Accepting new clients! Call 217-402-9871, or email me at ccargill@mindfulperspectives.org.

03/12/2026

After conflict, your body may still be in survival mode (the 4 F's).
The problem?
When you try to reflect, problem-solve, or reconnect while your nervous system is still activated, your capacity for empathy and perspective is limited.

⚡️Regulation comes first⚡️

😡If you’re in fight (angry, agitated):
• Shake out your arms and legs
• Lengthen your exhale
• Ground through your feet

😨If you’re in flight (anxious, restless):
• Hand on heart and belly
• Box breathing
• Gentle containment touch

😵If you’re in freeze (numb, foggy):
• Small movements
• Warmth
• Name 5 things you can see

🤐If you’re in fawn (over-accommodating):
• Boundary breathing
• Practice saying “No”
• Ask: What do I need right now?

Regulation is preparing your system for meaningful repair.
Calm is not forced, but restored.