Showing Up – Even When Life Feels Heavy
This week has been heavy. The kind of heavy that doesn’t sit on your shoulders—it sits in your chest. It was a weekend full of family time, which is supposed to feel comforting and loving, but this time it felt more like emotional triage.
👧 My grandma, who’s in assisted living with dementia, was particularly emotional—full of self-pity and confusion. My aunt, who carries the weight of that decision to place her there, unloaded her guilt and sadness. Then my sister, faced major house issues and didn’t reach out to family for help, when she certainly could have—a choice that hurts to witness but not one I can control. My protective sister heart felt defeated.
On top of all that, a conversation with my aunt and cousins cracked open years of family secrets—things we all knew but never said out loud. Because if you sweep a problem under the rug, does it even exist anymore? Nope. At least that’s how my family has always operated. I’m sure for generations.
🌧️ It was a lot—too much, really. And by the time the dust settled, I was completely drained. I had nothing left to give my work, my goals, my creativity. I had to write a blog, create content, and show up for my personal brand. And I didn’t want to do any of it.
📝 When Family Needs You (and You Overextend)
Story of my life. I’m the oldest daughter, the fixer, the strong one. I’m the one who’s supposed to hold it all together while also holding space for everyone else’s pain. It’s a role I never asked for but somehow inherited.
If you’re the go-to person in your family, you know what this feels like. It’s the kind of emotional weight you carry quietly because you think it’s your job to be strong for everyone else.
💔 But the truth is, being the fixer comes at a cost—and for me, that cost is often my own plans, including dreams and goals.
💡 The Cost of Not Showing Up for Yourself
Every time I put everyone else’s needs above my own, I fall further behind in the life I’m trying to build. I lose momentum, my creativity stalls, and limiting beliefs start to creep up. I’ve realized that I have treated my goals like side gigs for so long because I’ve believed that everyone else comes first—always.
I recently felt like I just woke up and realized that if I’m not careful, I’ll build a life where I showed up for everyone but myself.
This is what showing up looked like for me
🌟 How I Showed Up (Even When I Didn’t Want To)
Here’s the thing: Showing up doesn’t always have to be big – even though my over thinking mind tells me otherwise. This week, showing up meant sitting down for 20 minutes to outline this blog. It meant making a rough draft post for Instagram, even if I didn’t post it yet. It meant reminding myself that imperfect progress is still progress.
💡 If you’re struggling to show up for yourself because life is heavy, here’s what I found to help me:
✨ Lower the Bar — You don’t have to do everything. Just do something.
⏰ Set a Timer — Give yourself 15 minutes to write, brainstorm, or create—then stop.
✨ Let It Be Messy — Perfection isn’t required to move forward.
🥳 Feel It, Then Release It — Process the emotions, but don’t live in them.
🔍 Reconnect to Your Why — Remember your why. This is the reason having a strong and firm reason is so important when creating goals. Reminding yourself of your why can really help pull you back to alignment.
📢 The Reminder I Needed (and Maybe You Do Too)
You can’t always control the storms around you—but you can choose to show up for yourself in the middle of them.
Even when it feels like you have nothing left to give, there’s always a small step you can take. And those small steps? They’re the ones that build a life where you aren’t just the fixer—you’re the person who created a life that feels like their own.
📢 So if you needed permission today, here it is: Show up, even if it’s messy. Even if it’s small. Even if you don’t want to. Because your dreams deserve that much.
Now, I want to hear from you—how do you show up for yourself when life feels heavy? Drop a comment or DM me on Instagram. Let’s normalize messy consistency and real self-care.
