More than seven years ago, on 1 October 2017, I was at the beginning of a 6-month separation from my marriage and shared a post on social media that said:

“Hey All! Decided to go #offline for a while #nomoresocialmedia #takingabreak #finerthings #disconnecttoconnect #unplug #moresociallessmedia Ciao”

And then 5 months later, I thought I wanted to go online again… just 3 months after that, I put up this post:

“I’m OVER social media… it’s just not worth it!”

I had just dropped my phone in the toilet (lol, Divine intervention maybe?) and in that pause before switching it back on, I asked myself some hard questions: What are my intentions? What is this online world really doing to me and my relationships?

That moment was my first real step in taking back control of my time, my focus, and my energy. I unplugged from social media so I could be more present with my daughter, live more intentionally, and break away from being a “hypocrite” about screen time.

November 2024 – Embodying Trust

By November, I was sick again (my body had given in once more), the rent was late, and projects had fallen through. It was the exact same storm I’d faced before – yet I noticed something profound.

The panic was gone.
The desperation was gone.
The old fear of collapse had dissolved.

Instead, there was peace. A calm acceptance. A quiet trust that God was with me, that provision would come in divine timing, and that identity wasn’t defined by whether I fulfilled every expectation.

I wrote:

“I can’t tick the boxes right now. But that doesn’t lessen my worth or diminish my potential. This is simply where I am, and it doesn’t define me.”

That season was a liberation point. It taught me that surrender isn’t passive – it’s powerful.

📎 Click the screenshot to read the full post

Even as I write this, I can feel that the cycle is shifting again. Every season has taught me something new – how to unplug, how to ask for help, how to surrender, and how to trust. And now, seven years later, I see that each layer I’ve peeled back has brought me closer to stillness, presence, and God’s guidance.

But I also know that transformation isn’t just about reflection – it’s about practice. Healing becomes real when we start noticing our patterns, choosing differently, and creating space for what matters most. Over time, these small, intentional actions become a lifestyle. That’s why I want to share three lessons and practices that have supported me along the way – practical ways to turn awareness into change.

🌱 Lesson 1: Notice Your Cycles

Trauma often repeats in loops until we consciously break them. For years, mine looked like this:

Over-functioning → Burnout → Crash → Recovery → Repeat.

Recognising the pattern was the first step. Once I saw it, I could pause and make different choices.

• Practice: Write down one recurring cycle you notice in your own life – whether it’s overworking, procrastination, or people-pleasing. Then use this framework: Notice the pattern → Pause and breathe → Choose a new response.
• Journal prompt: What patterns do I notice when life feels overwhelming?

📵 Lesson 2: Simplify Your Digital World

When I unplugged in 2017, I had no idea how much calmer life could feel. One of the simplest shifts was turning off notifications. Without that constant dopamine ping, my nervous system finally had room to breathe.

Digital minimalism doesn’t mean deleting everything – it means being intentional. It blew my mind to become aware of the physical reaction my body had to hearing a notification – so I shut off my email notifications too. And put off the privacy setting on Whatsapp so I knew I could respond when I had capacity – instead of immediately. Those small steps changed everything. My next step is to remove those apps. Baby steps…

• Practice: Start with just one thing – remove an app from your phone or disable notifications. Notice how your body feels without the constant alerts.
• Journal prompt: How does my body respond when I need to slow down?

🌍 Lesson 3: Build a Lifestyle of Presence

In Blue Zones around the world, people live longer not because of fancy supplements or extreme routines, but because of simplicity. They walk daily, eat real food, share meals with loved ones, and live with purpose.

That’s what I want for myself and my girls. We’ve been simplifying – cooking together, decluttering our home, letting go of draining relationships, and focusing on connection. These small habits are shaping a life that feels lighter and more intentional.

• Practice: Try one declutter today – physical, digital, mental, or emotional.
• Physical: Let go of an item you no longer need.
• Digital: Clear one folder or email list.
• Mental: Replace one limiting thought with an empowering one.
• Emotional: Step back from one draining interaction.
• Journal prompt: What is one thing I can declutter (physically, mentally, or emotionally) today?

✨ Closing Reflection

Seven years ago, I went offline to find myself again. Since then, I’ve learned that life will always present storms, but how we meet them changes everything. Each cycle has been an invitation to grow – less striving, more trusting. Less clutter, more space. Less noise, more stillness.

My hope in sharing this is that you not only see my story, but also find tools for your own. Healing doesn’t happen in one big moment – it happens in the small, consistent choices we make every day. And just like peeling back the onion layers, each one reveals something deeper, something closer to who we were always meant to be.