Healing Playbook: My guide to returning to yourself after heartbreak, loss, or grief

Founder Friday

Every Friday, our founder pulls back the curtain and shares something close to her heart—whether it’s a lesson learned, a personal story, or a behind-the-scenes glimpse into our journey. These posts are part inspiration, part reflection, and

always written to connect, encourage, and spark conversation. It’s a chance to see some of the “why” behind what we do, straight from the person who started it all.

Lately, loss is a theme I am hearing about in my office and with people in my circles. Grief is not linear. There will be good days and hard days, and healing often comes in waves — but with time, the edges soften. Take what resonates from this playbook and leave the rest; healing is deeply personal, and trying new things can help rewire old patterns and allow for letting go. Supportive resources can make the journey lighter — uplifting or research-based podcasts (Huberman Lab, Mel Robbins), books like Finding Meaning by David Kessler (with its workbook), Letting Go by David Hawkins, and The Way to Love by Anthony de Mello. For relationship endings: Boundaries are powerful: a 30-day period of no contact (no photos, texts, emails, reminders, or social media trolling) creates space to begin shifting forward, with many noticing real improvements by 90 days. Movement is essential for somatic release — yoga, breath work, cold exposure, nature, or simple quiet time all help emotions move through the body. Replace negative habits with life-giving ones. Make a conscious plan to reduce “drifting” behaviors like drinking, doom-scrolling, gossip, or consuming negative media. Most importantly: love on yourself. Healing comes from choosing compassion and creating space for what nourishes you most. Take care. We need you!

Here are suggestions of tangible things you can do to help this process:

1. Morning Reset

• Journal first thing — release emotions, set intentions.

• Meditation (Braintap, Insight Timer, Waking Up, or any app, 10–20 min) — reset mind and body.

• Read or study something nourishing (Finding Meaning by David Kessler, workbook, Joe Dispenza, or similar).

  
  

2. Guarding My Energy

• No doom-scrolling or time-wasting apps.

• Podcasts or music instead of triggers — choose supportive voices.

• Daily inspiration — read Elizabeth Gilbert’s Letters from Love on her Substack community. Write your own. 

• Read daily readers. My favorite: The Way to Love by Anthony de Mello 

  
  

3. Connection & Support

• Reach out to friends 

• Talk with counselor, or coach regularly.

• Fast hack: Use ChatGPT as a journaling companion to process thoughts.

  
  

4. Nature & Stillness

• 1 hour daily in nature, free from input: no phone, no music, no podcast. Calm the nervous system.

• Use this time for intuition, clarity, and connection to source.

  
  

5. Daily Structure & Self-Care

• Go to bed early to protect sleep. Eat healthy. Move body.

• Revive my bucket list — trips, activities, and dreams I had set aside.

• Give time back to myself — adventures, friends, experiences that light me up.

  
  

6. Living From Love

• Respond daily from unconditional love — toward myself and others.

• Journal reflections to track growth and healing.

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Deep Healing Steps

Step 1: Nervous System Reset

• Daily movement: At least 20–30 minutes of walking, yoga, or strength work. Movement metabolizes the cortisol his push/pull cycle left behind.

• Somatic release: Try shaking (literally shake out arms/legs for 2–3 minutes) or breathwork to discharge looping energy.

• Sleep anchor: Create a nighttime ritual (hot shower, magnesium, journal brain-dump) to keep dreams from overwhelming you.

  
  

Step 2: Emotional Detox

• Unsent letters: When you want to talk to them, write them a letter you’ll never send. Put the conversation on paper, not in your head.

• Anger as medicine: Let yourself feel pissed instead of suppressing it. Anger detaches faster than sadness — punch pillows, hike hard, or scream in the car.

• Grief container: Pick a daily 15-minute “grief window.” Cry, rage, write — then stop, so pain doesn’t spill into your whole day.

  
  

Step 3: Cognitive Rewire

• Reality flashcards: Write the top 5 truths about the situation and reread when your brain romanticizes.

• Future vision: Write 1–2 paragraphs about what you actually want. Write an ideals list. Write out in detail "your perfect ordinary day." Keep it nearby as a compass and help you manifest.

• Pattern awareness: Reflect on what drew you to the situation. That’s your unmet need showing itself — you can meet it in healthier ways.

  
  

Step 4: External Anchors

• Tell 1–2 safe people: Stop spinning alone. Give yourself permission to say, “I just need to say this once so it’s not stuck in my head.”

• Accountability buddy: Someone who gently reminds you, “crumbs aren’t meals.”

• Therapy options: EMDR or hypnotherapy are excellent for breaking trauma bonds, often faster than talk therapy alone.

  
  

Step 5: Reinvest in You

• Adventure plan: Book something for yourself — trip, retreat, new class.

• Joy audit: Write a list of what makes you playful and alive (dancing, ocean swims, live music, dressing up).