Tuesday Health & Wellness

When Your Body Pulls the Emergency Brake

Today didn’t come with a warning label.

One minute I was pushing through a busy, confusing morning at work — phones ringing, emotions high, systems not making sense — and the next minute my body said nope. Not loudly. Not gradually. It just… shut it down.

It started with hot flashes. Then lightheadedness. Nausea. Pressure in my face. A feeling I can only describe as “I don’t feel good, and I need to stop.” So I did something that used to be hard for me — I listened.

I spoke up.

I clocked out.

I laid down.

And then my body did what it clearly needed to do: it slept. Deeply. For hours.

Here’s the thing I want to say clearly, especially to anyone who struggles with guilt around rest: this wasn’t weakness. This was regulation. My body had been carrying stress, noise, responsibility, and emotional labor for longer than I realized. When the adrenaline finally dropped, my system pulled the emergency brake to protect me.

What helped wasn’t pushing.

What helped was quiet.

Cool air.

Hydration.

A little sugar when my body needed it.

And being cared for — someone closing the blinds, bringing food, letting me rest without questions.

By late afternoon, the nausea was gone. The fog had lifted some. The face pressure lingered, but the message was clear: slow down.

If there’s a wellness takeaway here, it’s this:

Sometimes symptoms don’t arrive politely. They don’t send calendar invites. They just show up and ask you to choose — keep going, or take care of yourself.

Today, I chose care.

If your body has been whispering and you’ve been ignoring it, I hope this reminds you: you’re allowed to stop. You’re allowed to rest. And listening the first time is a lot kinder than being forced to later.

Be gentle with yourself today.

Your body is on your side — even when it hits the brakes.

— Lady Flava 🌻