There are seasons and days when the demands do not slow down.
Messages arrive,
Deadlines stuck,
Responsibilities overlap.
Even when you step away,
Your mind continue organizing,
Solving,
Anticipating.
Work stress doesn't always shout.
Sometimes it hums,
Quietly,
Beneath all the noise.
If your body feels tight before the day even begins,
That makes sense.
It means you care about what you're responsible for.
You want to do it well.
Of course,
Your body responds.
Care can turn into pressure,
Without you meaning for it to.
You don't have to carry the entire weight of your role in your muscles.
You don't have to brace for something to go wrong.
Responsibility and care can be witnessed with distance.
You can see what is yours to do,
Without merging with it.
There will always be more to do,
And work will always ask for more.
And you don't have to meet all at once.
You're allowed to pause to make a distance and witness before you respond.
Your worth is not measured by how quickly you can respond.
You're allowed to work with a softer body.
Let your shoulders relax.
Let your shoulders lower a little.
Let your jaw loosen.
Let your breath arrive into your lungs.
Nothing is collapsing in this moment.
Nothing is urgent in this moment.
For now,
You're simply here.