Notes from Barcelona
Living in different countries didn't just teach me how to navigate airports, paperwork or unfamiliar cities. It changed the way I see the world.
When your body is still trying to escape what is already over
Our nervous systems remember not only the traumatic experiences we have lived through, but also how our bodies responded to them.
They remember not only what made us feel threatened, but also the survival responses that were activated in those moments. Sometimes those responses can continue long after the danger has passed.
Resilience is not about being strong all the time.
Resilience is a skill we can learn and develop.
It grows through our ability to recognise signals from the body, to look around and notice signs of safety in our environment, to accept support from people who care for us, and to develop a sense of agency, the feeling that we can influence our own lives.
Staying present with difficult emotions without feeling overwhelmed.
When we think about calm, we often imagine a person who is rarely disturbed or thrown off balance. We picture someone who does not become consumed by anger, who does not get lost in anxiety, who can move through sadness without falling apart, and who seems able to meet life with a sense of ease. Their body is relaxed, their breathing steady, and their nervous system appears settled and regulated. But life rarely looks this way.
