Okay… so I told you I was going to do it, and I did. Not perfectly, not without nerves, but I did it.

I left my apartment this week. Just a small outing, nothing big, but standing at that door felt huge. Like it was 10 feet tall and I had to climb my way out of it. My anxiety was high, really high, but I just kept talking myself through it. Just get out the door. That’s it. Don’t think about anything else.

And once I was out, the anxiety was still there, but it was manageable. It was more like… okay, I can do this. I got a couple things done that I needed to get done, and honestly, that was enough for me.

By the time I got home, I was done. Straight into rest mode, because even small things can take a lot out of you.

And here’s the thing… I know this about myself. Once I get out, I’m usually okay. It’s just getting to that point that’s hard, so I kept reminding myself of that the whole time.

I didn’t do it alone either. I had my person with me, and she makes everything easier. We just vibe. She keeps me grounded, keeps things light, and that made all the difference.

I also didn’t try to do everything. That’s the biggest change for me right now. I broke it down into small steps, one thing at a time, no pressure to do it all. Because that’s where I used to get stuck… trying to do too much, overthinking everything, and then doing nothing.

This was just step one. Friday is going to be a bigger outing, multiple stores, and yeah… I’m already feeling it a bit. But now I know I can do it.

So if you’re sitting there thinking “I don’t know if I can,” I want you to hear me when I say this… you can. Just don’t try to do everything at once. Start with one step. Even if it’s just opening the door, that still counts 💛

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Thank you for being here, for reading, and for being part of this space.

We’re figuring this out one day at a time… together.

— Shelly 💛